Influences on parenting within contemporary society Essay

Influences on parenting within contemporary society - Essay Example The nature of today’s parenting has seen the rise in sales of parenting books and increased television parenting programmes. There is also a notable increase in the rate of divorce, single parenthood and dropping out from parenting classes. In light of the above this paper will delve on influences on parenting within contemporary society while shedding light on various theories among them Bandura Social Learning Theory. Characteristics and Challenges of Parenting in the Contemporary World (Post 1970s) Post 1970s is a period that saw protectionist approaches to parenting take root. These were and are characterized by parents (and the societal norms) insisting on children to wear helmets when riding bicycles and use of car seats among others. Parenting has taken a structured shape with both mothers and fathers taking up long-hours jobs. It is also important to note that birth rate has dropped where some parents have only one child or two at most. The concern for modern parents i s for their children to attain a competitive edge (Hamner & Turner 2001). This trend has led to hyper-parenting where parents are attempting to make their children grasp all that life can offer e.g. sports, piano lessons, dancing, mentoring and home tuition among others. A society’s norms are attributed to the challenges faced by parents when some of these norms facilitate good parenting while others hinder it. One of the problems is poverty where parents are not able to provide sufficient basic needs like food, shelter, education and good health care among others. Due to disparities posed by social classes and economic wellbeing some parents find it difficult to offer the bare minimum. Parents and their children in this regard engage in social ills like crime and prostitution in order to bridge the gap. The current society comprises of people who profess different faiths and uphold different morals and cultures. People from different faiths and cultures are intermarrying bri nging the challenge of understanding and tolerance. Neighbourhoods are also comprised of people from different nationalities, social and religious backgrounds, race and ethnicity. In these scenarios parenting proves to be a challenge when trying to make children understand and appreciate other people. Single parenting is on the rise where either a mother or a father feeds for their children alone. This is a state of imbalance which is tricky to operate in without the other partner as one works towards being both the father and mother at the same time. Single parenting is highly attributed to the rising cases of divorce and unwanted and teenage pregnancies. The society more than ever before is liberal in respect to sexuality which is leading to many young people engaging in unsafe sexual practices (Ashworth & Sanders 2007). Divorce is now being taken as a normal occurrence in a marriage; something which was considered almost a taboo one and a half centuries ago. Mental Health and Par enting For a parent to be responsible enough to take care of their children, they need to take care of their mental health first. Poor parental mental health results in poor child upbringing. Mental health issues in parents render them unable to offer children the developmental needs required in relation to their social and emotional lives. Research has shown that parents exhibiting mental problems often bring up children with the same or other forms of mental