Importance of earlier experience and support for parental development

Sometimes responding to the baby’s signals is challenging for parents, if for instance a parent has issues relating to pregnancy or labour and delivery or the day-to-day life is strenuous. The same may happen also, if parents in their childhood got used to a certain kind of response from the grownups in their life.

Parents’ childhood attachment and bonding models are often reflected in the day-to-day communication with their children and spouse. Parents may remember their growing-up years as they enter into parenthood and parenting. This may help the parents make good choices from the child’s perspective in compliance with family values in parenting.

• Spouse, own parents and siblings, close friends and other family members provide support in processing experiences and emotions.
• Also mother and child health clinics and family work services provide help. Also the private and third sector have services for that purpose. The important thing is for the parent not to think he or she is alone with such experiences but to realise that also other parents go through various emotions on their path to parenthood.
• Many parents have found easily accessible support groups established by private persons and various organisations in social media a comfort. Group description or the group administrator can tell if questions in the group are answered by healthcare professionals, trained instructors or support mums or by peer parents. Many towns and cities offer also traditional group activities, such as meetings, and some organisations provide also telephone or online support.