What are the differences between parenting and children's health

To put it simply, these are two overlapping categories with completely different core focuses. Parenting is a collection of nurturing actions for the entire growth cycle, while children's health is a professional yardstick for measuring children's physical and mental development. The former is the practice of "how to do it", and the latter is the reference for "is it right?"

Last week, I met the mother of a 3-year-old baby at a community child care free clinic. She said that she was determined to read two picture books with her baby every day and do half an hour of English instruction. She considered herself to be a benchmark for scientific parenting. However, when she got the child care report, she found that her baby was 2 centimeters shorter and had insufficient hyperopic reserves. She was confused on the spot and said that she had never included these health indicators in the assessment of child care.

In fact, many parents have a more humanistic understanding of parenting. After all, it runs through the entire process of a child from birth to adulthood, ranging from what clothes to wear and what kind of complementary food to eat, to how to face failure in exams and how to deal with conflicts with friends. All the parenting choices made by caregivers are In the category of parenting, there is no absolute standard answer to this part. Some people think that free-range parenting can cultivate children's autonomy, while others think that meticulous parenting can help children avoid detours. As long as it adapts to the child's personality and family rhythm, it is actually no problem. This is why various parenting schools can coexist now.

But children's health is different. All its standards are based on massive clinical data and evidence-based research, and there is no room for negotiation. Take the hyperopia reserve just mentioned. Normally, a 3-year-old child should have a reserve of 150-200 degrees. If the reserve is used up early if the eyes are used too much at close range, there is a high probability that they will become myopic later. This result will not be changed just because your family's parenting philosophy is "It doesn't matter if your child plays with electronic devices freely." ; Also, the peak secretion of growth hormone occurs during the deep sleep period from 10pm to 2am. If you have to let your baby stay up until 12pm every day, even if you catch up on enough sleep during the day, it will affect your height growth. These are clear conclusions in the field of children's health, regardless of school or personal preference.

There are two very extreme voices on the Internet now. One is that parenting is to give children a happy childhood. Height, eyesight, and motor development are all about selling anxiety, completely ignoring health indicators; the other is that all indicators of children's health are regarded as the K of parenting. PI, in order to get the baby to eat two more mouthfuls of food, he chased after him and forced him to run two kilometers every day in order to meet the big exercise standards. In the end, the baby cried when he saw food, resisted when he was asked to go out to play, and instead developed psychological problems. These two are actually not clear about the boundaries between the two.

To give an inappropriate analogy, parenting is like traveling by car with your children. You can choose to take the expressway to get to your destination quickly, or you can choose to take the country road and stop at any time to look at the wild flowers on the roadside, or even temporarily change the route to visit other attractions. However, you can do whatever is comfortable for you; Children's health is like the dashboard of the car. There are clear standards for whether there is enough fuel, whether the tire pressure is normal, and whether the water temperature exceeds the standard. If you don't stop to make adjustments when the red light comes on, and forcefully drive according to your own preferences, it may break down halfway, or cause a safety accident.

When I talk to parents, I often say that you don’t have to make parenting so tiring, and don’t treat your health indicators like a scourge. Keep the bottom line of health first, and the remaining parenting space can follow the rhythm of you and your child. That’s good.