Becoming a parent: the first 1000 days are crucial for child health and building positive parenting
Experts: parenting is not a performance. We need clear and shared rules in the couple, listening, time to be together without distractions and a strong synergy between school and family
Rome, April 23, 2024 – “Learning the art of parenting”, with a shared educational project at the level of the couple, succeeding in giving clear rules to ensure a healthy, serene and balanced growth for children: it is a path to be built day by day, in a team effort with the school and other social institutions, but it is not without obstacles, especially in the complexity of our times. The experts’ warning was unanimous: one must not be perfect parents, but reliable parents for one’s children.
These issues were discussed at the event “Verso una nuova genitorialità: percorsi, sfide e soluzioni nella crescita familiare” held today in Rome at the Clinica Villa Mafalda. The meeting, which brought together experts and families to debate the challenges and opportunities of modern parenting, was organized with the contribution of Neopharmed Gentili, which has always been committed to promoting reflection on issues of social and health relevance to contribute to the psycho-physical well-being and educational growth of the community.
In the spotlight, the first thousand days of a child’s life, from conception to two years of age, which are a crucial period in defining the physical, mental and social health of the future adult but also in building parenting.
“The first thousand days are a window of opportunity in which to lay the foundations for a child’s overall health”, explains Martina Capponi, Medical Director Pediatrician at the Policlinico Umberto I Pediatric Clinic, “The Genitori Più project, which originated in the Veneto Region and has been extended by the Ministry of Health throughout the country, identifies eight simple actions to support future and new parents in adopting appropriate lifestyles to combat the main causes of morbidity and mortality in children: taking folic acid from before conception, not smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, preferring exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, putting the infant to sleep in the supine position to prevent crib death, protecting the baby’s safety at home and in the car, getting all vaccinations, and reading a book from the earliest months to promote expressiveness and cognitive development. We pediatricians are particularly committed to encouraging mothers to breastfeed and to counter vaccine hesitancy by informing parents about the importance of vaccines for the healthy growth of their children.”
In addition to the health of babies, the first thousand days have a central significance for the transition to parenthood.
As Alessia Greco, a psychologist and cognitive-constructivist psychotherapist at the Clinica Villa Mafalda, explains, “Becoming parents is a journey that begins the moment the desire for a child is born in the couple, it continues during gestation and materializes with the return home in three. This period is marked by different psychological experiences, with alternating positive but also negative emotions related to concerns about the outcome of the pregnancy, the health of the unborn child, and the parental role one is called upon to play. Returning home as three components marks the transition from married couple to parental couple and brings with it great changes. It is important to accompany parents in creating a new normal, which should be based on a clear division of roles and tasks and the ability to carve out enjoyable moments for the couple. Parenthood – it should be remembered – is not a performance; parents are not born but become parents day after day, even by making mistakes.”
“Parents often feel unprepared to deal with the daily difficulties arising from raising children and have different family cultures that can create conflict dynamics in the parental couple”, adds Maria Elena Raschi, a psychologist and psychotherapist at the Clinica Villa Mafalda, “Having a common line in raising children and getting them used to following rules and daily rituals from an early age is crucial to raising peaceful children. On the contrary, the absence of rules or lack of educational harmony between parents causes dysfunctionality in the child that undermines his or her developmental process. To support parents in this journey, at the Clinica Villa Mafalda we have established groups on parenting that, with the support of a team of psychotherapists, promote the sharing of personal experiences in the relationship with their children. During the life journey of a family, it is very important to take into consideration the emotions of adults, as well as those of children.”
“In a child’s growth, one aspect to pay attention to from early childhood is language development”, explains Ursula Moresi, Speech Therapist at the Clinica Villa Mafalda, “Although in many cases language delay represents a transient phase that resolves spontaneously, it is advisable not to underestimate the problem, perhaps seeking advice from family and friends. If a parent notices that his or her child around the age of 18-24 months has difficulty speaking or expressing himself or herself in a comprehensible way, it is important that he or she consults a speech specialist who can identify the most appropriate mode of intervention and provide guidance on how to support and stimulate the little one appropriately. It is good to remember, in fact, that the language environment in which the child is immersed and daily habits, such as the use of smartphones or TV, also influence the development of his or her language skills.”
During the meeting, experts called attention to the value of time spent together with their children, without ‘distractions’ due to work, cell phone or TV, and aimed at meeting their need for attention, listening and sharing. To achieve this goal, a parenting support course can help parents focus on the emotional and educational relationship with their children. In addition, school-family synergy plays a decisive role in accompanying parents to cope with the difficulties in living in modern society.
“As children enter kindergarten, parents experience their first real detachment from their children and need to be taken by the hand, listened to and reassured as they face a journey that is not only educational but also emotional”, explains Emma Rocca, Istituto Villa Flaminia’s Kindergarten Coordinator, “Some parents are overwhelmed by their personal routines and aspirations for their children. And so, children have increasingly full agendas, planned by families, that leave no room for moments of healthy boredom that are instead important factors in the development of a child’s personality. Increasingly, society imposes achievement that creates bewilderment for families. A piece of advice, a hug received at school can help break down this scaffolding of excessive striving for performance, to live everyday life more serenely.”
“Today more than ever, in a scenario characterized by new family and social arrangements, support for the parental function is of extreme importance and is based on building a solid alliance between families, educational and health institutions, the productive and social fabric,” says Ottavia Landi, Director of Institutional Relations at Neopharmed Gentili, “As a company committed to promoting people’s health and the creation of a positive, inclusive and sustainable living environment, we want to make our contribution to the dialogue on these issues and, internally within our organization, support parents in finding a balance between work and family, in order to raise in the best possible way their children, who will be the adults of tomorrow.”
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About Neopharmed Gentili
Neopharmed Gentili is a pharmaceutical company born in Italy and historically rooted in its territory, expanding strongly beyond national borders thanks to a consolidated and reliable experience in M&A and Licensing transactions, especially with multinational partners. Research, accountability, and care are the pillars that guide Neopharmed Gentili’s mission to improve the health and quality of life of patients, caregivers, and healthcare personnel. Neopharmed Gentili’s aspiration is to help people live as healthy and long-lived lives as possible, acting with ethical value and scientific precision, and offering solutions with high therapeutic value.
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