Expose, explore, and experience your child’s many environments
To help develop the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional dimensions of the child, parents must expose children to a rich and stimulating environment. This encourages them to explore and experience the world.
According to Urie Bronfenbrenner, a renowned psychologist who conceptualized the Ecological Systems Theory, each child develops within a complex system of relationships and environments, from his immediate setting to a bigger society defined by cultural values, customs, and laws.
The child’s immediate environment is called the microsystem. This is the family setting which involves all interactions between family members — regular meals, family conversations, celebrations, and playtime. The microsystem also includes the husband-wife interaction. If the child sees a loving relationship between his parents, this becomes a positive example for him.
For single parents, the parent-child interaction has a significant impact. Sibling interactions also affect the development of the child. So it’s not only nutrition or education, but the interactions within the microsystem that help the child to develop.
The next layer is called the mesosystem. These are the connections among microsystems that foster the child’s development such as the home, school, neighborhood, and extracurricular activities. In this environment, the child is present and interacts with a wider range of personalities like the teacher, school janitor, neighbor, or basketball coach.
Next is the exosystem, social settings where the child is not present but nevertheless affect the experiences in his immediate setting. The parents’ workplace is an example of an exosystem. Here, other parents share their experiences about childrearing and somehow affect the child.
Parents also have social networks, such as health professionals, friends, and extended family members. The latter is very influential because they give parenting advice or support — be it physical, financial or emotional.
The macrosystem is comprised of the larger environment, which includes values, laws, and culture. For example, Filipino culture values close family ties, respect for elders, and fear of God — all of which are imbibed by the child. Values imparted by TV shows and advertising are also part of the macrosystem.
Outside of this structure is the chronosystem, which are changes in the child’s environment. These changes may happen internally or externally, creating unique experiences. Such changes include the birth of a new baby in the family, the job promotion of a parent, an increase in the price of gas, or civil war.
Given the child’s many environments, parents have the ability to intervene, at any level, to help enhance their child’s total development. In doing so, always keep in mind the three E’s of learning: expose, explore and experience. Give him all the chances to succeed. Let him grow. Let him go.
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(Dr. Lilian Leynes-Juadiong is a professor at the Department of Family Life and Child Development,
