X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?

4 min read
Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?

Your parenting style may be the reason your child ends up missing school often.

A parent would do anything in her power to ensure that the child does not fall sick. However, what if your behaviour itself is causing sickness in the child?

Recent studies show that there is a link between the parents' behaviour and the child's health. And I am not just talking about his stress levels. It is actually possible that your behaviour towards your child is affecting his immunity.

Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?

Are you a strict parent? Then consider this study. 164 Children around the age of 11 were chosen for this study1. They received the usual dose of the meningococcal vaccine. It was observed that negative parental behaviour, including strict behaviour, impacted the effectiveness of the vaccine over a period of 6 months.

This is a major cause of concern as this poses a public health risk. But more importantly, it affects the way the child's immunity works. Stress is shown to be linked with changes in levels of Cortisol. This, in turn, reduces the child's immunity, causing him to fall sick more often.

Do you believe in free-range parenting? In another study2, 102 families were interviewed. The parenting styles were observed along with some biological markers in children. It was seen that poor parenting, including neglect, leads to an increase in inflammation and immune activation in children. This can potentially lead to organ damage in the long run.

What is the right style of parenting then?

Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?

While we do everything to ensure that our children get what we could not, we are undergoing a lot of stress. Is our parenting style right? I don't know. What I know is that we need to make sure that all these efforts do not end up affecting our children in any way.

One thing we know from these studies is that any type of extreme parenting is harmful. Try free-range parenting and your children might find themselves in situations where they do not know what to do. This would lead to stress, something you want to avoid. Be the tiger mums and dads, and you risk making them fall sick! It seems like finding a balance is essential.

So here is a 5 step mantra to ensure that you do not reach any extremes.

2020 parenting trends

  1. Ensure that they are shielded optimally. Don't expose them to everything that you go through. Some of the children are really matured for their age. But that does not mean that they can think and function as adults. So keep the seriousness of life to yourself.
  2. Don't remove their obstacles. When you start making things easy for them, you are making sure that they will need you whenever they are stuck. I don't think you want to do that. So don't make their path free of obstacles. Help them instead to navigate the obstacle.
  3. Create a sense of security. Let your child know that you are there for him. Be his friend and advisor when it comes to making decisions. Let him try and fail, and understand that you are there for him. This will bring out the best in him.
  4. Give them an optimal space. Every child needs some freedom and autonomy while growing. Ensure that your child is independent enough to do his daily chores. That also means not handing him the socks in the morning. But, to be honest, it would mean getting involved in any of his ventures only when he is sufficiently comfortable with it.
  5. Don't forget their age. Children are, after all, children. So don't try to rush them into something they are too young to enter. Granted, your child will ace his tests when you are a tiger parent. However, despite all the success, he will have life-long issues to deal with, something you do not want him to have. Let him be a child. He will do well in life. Just take it easy on this aspect!

Mums and dads, what do you think? So let us know in the comments below.

Sources:

1: Observed Parent-Child Relationship Quality Predicts Antibody Response to Vaccination in Children. O'Connor TG et. al.

2: Self-Reported Parenting Style Is Associated With Children's Inflammation and Immune Activation.
Byrne ML et. al.

ALSO READ: 

The Millennial’s Parenting Styles.

Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from sg.theAsianparent.com

Partner Stories
Changi Experience Studio’s ‘A Night at the Airport’ Family Camp and Other Fun Programmes Return to Jewel This June Holidays
Changi Experience Studio’s ‘A Night at the Airport’ Family Camp and Other Fun Programmes Return to Jewel This June Holidays
Have the Ultimate Dubai Bucket List Holiday This Summer With Emirates
Have the Ultimate Dubai Bucket List Holiday This Summer With Emirates
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Anay Bhalerao

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • Is Your Behaviour Causing Your Child to Fall Sick More Often?
Share:
  • Common 1-year-old Behaviour Problems and How to Handle Them

    Common 1-year-old Behaviour Problems and How to Handle Them

  • Can Children Get Pneumonia From Sleeping With the Fan on?

    Can Children Get Pneumonia From Sleeping With the Fan on?

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

app info
get app banner
  • Common 1-year-old Behaviour Problems and How to Handle Them

    Common 1-year-old Behaviour Problems and How to Handle Them

  • Can Children Get Pneumonia From Sleeping With the Fan on?

    Can Children Get Pneumonia From Sleeping With the Fan on?

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.