It has long been accepted by scientists that the experiences you go through in infancy and childhood will play an important role in shaping the brain, maturity and behavior you will have as an adult.
Key words: predictability and consistency
In recent studiesit has been shown that unpredictable or inconsistent parenting behavior can lead to disrupt the development of emotional brain circuits of one enfant. This may increase the risk of developing mental illnesses as well as the substance addiction later.
To understand this, the study of the links between environmental factors and sensory and emotional development has been decisive. As parents are often the major source of information for a baby and a child, it seemed logical that what would be called the ” parental cues are important in brain development.
It has been shown inold researchthat the lack of response given to a child, such as neglect, could cause later emotional issues. A predictable and consistent parent reacts to new situations, such as when a child falls or asks for a new toy. This predictability allows the child, in the longer term, to know who will pick him up at school in the evening, or when he can expect to have his dinner, for example.
Studies done in animals and then in humans
Of the studies were first conducted on mouse and rats, to be able to analyze the behavior of mothers towards their offspring, while limiting the material available for the construction of the nest. This then alters the activity patterns of mothers towards their young. Of the studies were then carried out in humans, to observe how parents behaved during play sessions, and how their actions could influence the emotional and cognitive development of their children.
In both animal and human studies, the observation that has been made is that parents who are predictable lead to better emotional and cognitive functioning in their children later in life.