Becoming a Parent
What is parenting?
The activity of raising a child. This can include biological parents, step-parents, adoptive parents, foster parents and other carers.
What single cell is formed when a sperm fertilises an ovum?
A zygote.
Is antenatal care a risk factor or protective factor?
A protective factor.
What age range is classified as infancy?
Birth to the second birthday.
What age range is classified as early childhood?
2–6 years of age.
Give two legal responsibilities parents have towards their child.
Any two: protect the child from harm; provide food, clothing and housing; financially support the child; provide safety and supervision; provide medical care; provide an education.
How many chromosomes does a zygote receive from each parent?
23 from the sperm and 23 from the ovum, giving 46 in total.
Which nutrient helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects?
Folate / folic acid.
What happens to an infant's birthweight by approximately 12 months?
It generally triples.
Give one example of a fine motor skill that develops during early childhood.
Examples include doing up buttons, holding a pencil/crayon, using scissors, turning pages or tying shoelaces.
What is the difference between social support and emotional support?
Social support provides practical assistance such as babysitting, transport, meals or money. Emotional support includes empathy, care, active listening, encouragement and reassurance.
Name the three stages of prenatal development in order.
Germinal → Embryonic → Foetal.
Give two purposes of antenatal care.
Any two: monitor the health of mother and baby; provide health education; identify risk factors; promote protective factors; check foetal development; diagnose complications; provide medical interventions.
What is parallel play?
Playing alongside another infant while doing similar activities but without really interacting with them.
Give one example each of social and emotional development during early childhood.
Social: sharing, taking turns, forming friendships or becoming more independent. Emotional: developing empathy, taking pride in achievements or learning to express/manage emotions.
Identify three additional stressors that may occur when someone becomes a parent.
Any three: lack of sleep/health, psychological stress, financial stress, social isolation, lifestyle changes, lack of support, expectations, balancing responsibilities, communication issues or differences in parenting style.
Why is the embryonic stage considered the most critical stage of prenatal development?
Cells are differentiating and major organs and body systems are forming through organogenesis, making the embryo particularly vulnerable to harmful environmental influences and teratogens.
Explain one way smoking during pregnancy can affect prenatal development.
Tobacco smoke reduces oxygen flow to the placenta and exposes the developing foetus to toxins. This can contribute to outcomes such as low birthweight, premature birth, miscarriage or developmental problems.
What is object permanence?
Understanding that a person or object still exists even when it cannot be seen.
Why is play particularly important for development during early childhood?
It supports all four areas of development: motor skills, communication, sharing, emotional expression, creativity, imagination, decision making and problem solving.
A new parent is experiencing lack of sleep, reduced income, isolation from friends and disagreements with their partner over childcare. Identify three types of stressors they are experiencing and explain one support that could help.
Lack of sleep = health stressor; reduced income = financial stressor; isolation = social stressor; childcare disagreement = balancing responsibilities/relationship stress. Support could include babysitting, practical assistance, financial assistance, emotional support or help from family/community services.
Explain the major differences between the germinal, embryonic and foetal stages.
Germinal: 0–2 weeks; fertilisation, cell division and implantation. Embryonic: 3–8 weeks; cell differentiation and organ formation. Foetal: 9–38 weeks; rapid growth and maturation of organs and systems.
Explain how one parental decision during pregnancy could act as either a risk or protective factor and link it to prenatal development.
Example: avoiding alcohol is protective because alcohol can cross the placenta and interfere with development. Drinking alcohol is a risk factor and may damage the nervous system, restrict blood supply and contribute to foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Explain how parents can promote optimal development in infancy through early relationships and opportunities for learning.
Parents can respond consistently and empathetically to develop secure attachment and trust. They can also provide reading, toys, sounds, colours, floor play, crawling and exploration to encourage physical and intellectual development.
Explain how parents can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development through play.
Physical: active play develops motor skills. Social: group play develops sharing and cooperation. Emotional: play helps children express emotions and develop confidence. Intellectual: imaginative play develops creativity, language and problem solving.