Parenting Roles

Parenting Roles

Zahida Gomez Castellano

Salt Lake Community College

Family and Human Studies (FHS) 1500: Lifespan Human Development Essay

February 6, 2022
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Question

MOTHERS AND FATHERS: Except for the birthing process and breastfeeding, do you

think that a mother's position as a caregiver of an infant or child is biologically different from

that of a father? Why? What examples can you provide that support your answer?

Answer

I definitely think that the mother has the biggest role. When birthing, the mother has to

carry the baby throughout the whole 9 months and experience all the pain when it comes to

carrying the baby, as well as giving birth to it. The mother also has to deal with breastfeeding and

her breast becoming swollen and hurting. I know that besides this the father holds a big role

when it comes to taking care of the baby.

I believe that the roles are VERY different, at first the baby might feel more attached to

the mom since they are usually the first ones holding the baby. However, babies benefit from

having both parents. There are holidays like Mothers Day, and Fathers Day that a child could feel

overwhelmed about if they aren't a part of. This is the same thing with holidays, it is really hard

on kids to have to separate when celebrating. A friend of mine never had a father figure, so

fathers day is always a holiday that gets really frustrating for her. This goes along with someone

not having a mother figure in their life. Having both roles growing up can teach you different

things that you may want to know.

Although the father isn't the one carrying the baby, they can experience symptoms like

"weight gain...and pain during labor" (Berger, 2014, p.77). "The father experiences more

depression in the first three weeks than the mother." (Berger, 2014, p.77) This could be because

the father is still getting used to having a child, it isn't easy. I am not a mother myself but I know

that having a baby is very stressful. Sleep schedules get messed up, and having to care for the
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baby and not knowing what to do when the baby is crying is also very stressful. Everyone reacts

to situations differently, and for the father, it might be a bit more stressful.

"A baby fed, bathed, and diapered by Dad is just as happy and clean as when mom does it."

(Berger, 2014, p.149). This explains how important a father figure is and how they play a huge

role when taking care of their child. The father is there to also provide care to the baby and the

mother. When the mother is feeling sick, or unable to care for the baby, this is where the father

plays a huge role to help out. Not just with the baby, but with the mother as well.

As the child grows up the parents set different examples for the child. "Mothers engage in

more caring and comforting, and the fathers in more high-intensity play. When asked to play

with their baby, mothers typically caress, read, sing...fathers are more exciting: They move their

infant's limbs in imitation of walking, kicking, or they swing the baby in the air...." (Berger,

2014, p.149). I really like this quote because this is how most kids grow up, the mother is always

making sure the baby is cared for and is loved for. The father is more outgoing and likes to travel

more outside with the baby. This is usually how it is, I feel like most people I know have grown

up like this. Mothers are more "strict" in a way and tend to pay more attention to how a child is

acting, and the fathers tend to open up a shell where a kid is hiding.

I think that both parents are a HUGE part of a child's development, they both love the child

the same, and caring for the child is equally important. However, they definitely have different

roles when watching the child.

Reference
Berger, Kathleen Stassen, and Richard O. Straub. "The Science of Human Development."
Invitation to the LifeSpan. 2nd ed. N.p.: n.p., 2014. 27-28. Print.