• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Thoughtful Parent

A blog that makes child development approachable.

  • About Me
  • Social-Emotional Development
    • 7 Ways to Teach Your Child About Kindness
    • 4 Powerful Social-Emotional Lessons Kids are Learning During the Pandemic
  • Temperament
    • Seeing the Unique Gift of Your Child’s Temperament
    • Insights for Parents from the Science of Child Temperament
  • Toddler Development
    • Research-Backed Real-Life Strategies to Discipline Kids without Yelling
    • Research-Backed Ways to Thrive Through the Toddler Years
  • Child Development Classics
    • A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the 4 Attachment Styles
    • Child Psychology Classics: The Mirror Test
  • Parent Coaching

Why is it Important for Parents to Understand Child Development?

Parenting Research · February 8, 2021

{Why is it important for parents to understand child development? Learn how it can open our eyes to wonderful insights about our children and our parenting}

In response to some posts in the past, some readers have made comments along the lines of, “Duh, why do we need research to figure that out.” I personally do not take offense at such comments because I’m not the one doing the research, I’m just reporting it. Besides that, I have at times felt the same way about some of the research I’ve read.

These comments, however, did cause me to think and really consider: why is it important for parents to understand child development? Why bother even glancing at child development research? After all, doesn’t some of the best parenting advice mention that parents know what’s right for their child without reading what academics have to say? Having been trained in a university setting for several years, I often take for granted the value of academic research. This is lesson number one in graduate school–research is valuable. I still firmly believe this. So I thought I’d outline some of the reasons why I think it’s still important to be aware of child development and parenting research.

why is it important for parents to understand child development

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links helps support this blog at no added cost to you.

The Importance of Understanding Child Development

1. My experience isn’t your experience

Simply put, anecdotal evidence isn’t reliable. Each of us has our own experience with our children that may be very different from someone else’s experience. Oftentimes people read research findings and say, “Well, my kid doesn’t do that” or “I tried that strategy with my kid and it didn’t work.” Implicit in those statements is the idea that since it doesn’t apply to me, then it must not be true or valuable. 

Related reading: Research-Backed Parenting Goals

To me, this is where research is very valuable. Research studies usually examine hundreds or thousands of individuals. In a sense, studies combine hundreds of individuals’ stories to uncover the big picture of what the “average” individual looks like. If we solely rely on each individual’s experience then we would be pulled in a hundred different directions as to what strategy might work or what behavior is “typical.” Research helps us understand what strategy or treatment would work for most individuals. Of course, there are always individuals who vary from this but the research helps us know where to begin.

understanding child development for parents

2. Anything could be true

It is human nature to make sense of information; to make it fit in neat little categories in our minds. This means that when we read something that sounds plausible we often (unknowingly) come up with reasons for why it might be true, especially if it seems like common sense.

This reminds me of an exercise that we did in a psychology class once. The teacher handed out slips of paper that had “research findings” on them. Each student received one slip of paper and could not share it with their classmates. Unknown to the students was that some of the “findings” were real and some were completely made up and false. Each student was asked to say if they thought the “finding” was true and if so, why they thought so.

importance of understanding child development

With very few exceptions, each student thought the “finding” was true and they had very coherent reasons why they thought it was a real research finding. This is all to say, that just because something sounds like common sense doesn’t mean it really is. This is another reason why is it important for parents to understand child development. Research helps us test out ideas in a logical, scientific way so that we won’t be easily swayed by ideas that sound good.

3. Kids (and parents) vary, but usually within a range

We all know that each child is an individual and that kids differ quite a bit from one another in their temperaments, personalities, behavior, etc. Any parent of multiple kids will tell you this is true. However, research helps us understand the range of this variation. This is helpful in a couple of ways. First, if my child is doing something I think is odd, I can look to research to know if this behavior is within the “range” of normal/average. If so, then as a parent I know I don’t have to worry too much; other kids have gone through this too.

parent coaching

On the other hand, it may also be helpful to know if a child’s behavior falls outside the range of “average” so that I, as a parent, can know how to respond or seek out help to understand why my child is behaving this way. This is not to say that every child has to be “typical” or “average” but it does help to know what the range is so that we have a context for understanding the child.

Related Reading: The Best Parenting Books for Research-Based Guidance

Becoming a parent myself has changed how I read and understand research. I definitely seek out research that has more direct, applicable findings. However, in some ways becoming a parent has strengthened my belief about why is it important for parents to understand child development. If I have a question about something my child is doing or how to react to a certain behavior, I know someone out there has probably done a study that addresses my question. Although the research may not give me some perfect answer or fail-proof strategy, it does usually offer some insight into the situation and helps me understand my child’s ever-developing mind.

understanding child development

time-in toolkit

Here at The Thoughtful Parent, my goal is to translate academic research on child development and parenting into a format that busy parents can quickly read and understand. I hope to continue to provide information that is useful and timely.

 

Related Resources:

Need 1-on-1 support? Try out parent coaching with me (on your schedule):parent coahcing

 

what is everybody understood child developmentWhat if Everybody Understood Child Development?

whole brain childThe Whole Brain Child

 

 

 

Filed Under: Parenting Research Tagged With: child development, parenting, research

Amy Webb, Ph.D.

Writer and mom of two who brings academic child development and parenting information into the lives of ordinary parents who can use it in their daily lives.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

child temperament quiz
Amy Webb
As a mom of two young boys, I've seen first-hand how research-based child development information, combined with intuition, can guide you through your parenting journey. Although I have a Ph.D.in Human Development and Family Sciences, many of my real parenting discoveries have come through my experience. I believe parenting with confidence comes from knowledge; parenting with grace comes from insight. Join me on this parenting journey of learning and discovery

Learn Your Child’s Temperament

child temperament

Moms–Preview My New Book!

Get Parenting Inspiration at My RedBubble Shop

parenting blog

Guides

Child Temperament

Stay-at-Home Mom

Developmental Toys

Toddler Development

Social-Emotional Development

 

Search

Online Course for Moms

stay at home mom course

As seen on

Amazon affiliate links appear on this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (at no added cost to you).

Popular Posts

  • newborn reflexes
    What a Baby’s Temperament Tells Us About Their Long-Term Development
  • top parenting blogs
    23 Best Parenting Blogs
  • mirror test babies
    Child Psychology Classics: The Mirror Test
  • connecting with kids
    What Research Says is the Best Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule for Kids {and moms too!}
  • toddler speaks own language
    How to Give Your Child a 1980s Childhood {and it’s backed by research!}

Join our Facebook Group of intentional parents!

parenting

Copyright © 2023 · Maker Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok