Crissman 1

Shea Crissman

Mrs. Cramer

Comp Pd. 4

December 7th, 2018

Parents: The True Influence

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we

can build our youth for the future.” This quote represents the fact that parents hold a responsibility

for their child and influence their child's future decisions. Not to mention this quote also explains

the fact that parents prepare and are responsible for their child's actions that can impact their future.

With that being said, the parents play the “we” role in this quote. Parents are the biggest influence

on youth; they are responsible for how the youth are brought up and how they act. Parents are the

people that are supposed to influence child behavior and impact how their kids grow up leading

up to the future. All in all, parents are more responsible for their child's behavior than anyone else.

First off, most children grow up in a home with their parents, therefore, the parents should

be responsible for raising them. Parents are responsible for many factors that can impact a child's

behavior. For example, their home environment. This can be anything from the objects in the

house, to what is being said in the house around the child, as well as verbal conflicts. A child's

home environment has a large impact on how they behave in the outside world. “In poor and low-

income families, the home environment is more likely to be chaotic, and parents are more likely

to be stressed and unresponsive” (A Child’s Early). Growing up in a household like this could

cause a child to misbehave and impact their brain development. This risk can be prevented if a

child is to grow up in a happy, healthy home. If a child comes from a middle to upper class home,
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then they are more likely to have better behavior compared to those of a low-income family.

Another cause of negative child behavior that can come from home is the marital status of the

parents, and the stress that runs throughout the family along with their income (Family Structure).

Conflicts at home, like the ones mentioned above, effect a child's behavior in several different

ways: poor attitude, high sensitivity levels, and emotional stability. Almost fifty percent of families

are affected by divorce. 1 For example, if a child has divorced parents, the parents may be

detrimental to a child's well-being because the child would lose important economic and emotional

resources. This demonstrates how parents can impact a child's home life which also impacts the

child's behavior. Again, if a home is well put together with parents that are well employed, then

the outcome of a child's behavior will be more desirable compared to those with a rough home life.

Next, because children grow up around their parents, the child picks up characteristics from

the parents, including personality traits and behavior that can have an impact how the child acts in

the future. “...feeling of anger or depression.... These negative feelings distract parents from the

task of parenting...”(Danyliuk, Grusec). Ineffective parenting can cause children to act out because

they are mimicking their parent's behavior. If a parent is unhappy while raising a child, more than

likely the child will be unhappy as well, which could result in bad behavior. If parents want to

raise children that can behave and act appropriately, then they should act how they want their kids

to act. “...day-to-day behavior, from the way you drive to the tone of your voice, is shaping the

way your child will act for the rest of their life”(Danyliuk, Grusec). This quote effectively displays

the idea that everything a parent does rubs off on their children which directly relates to the idea

that children are like sponges; this source clearly sums up the idea that a parent's actions reflect on

1 Logos- This is logos because facts are being stated to prove a point to the audience.
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their children. Families that tend to have a lot of drama and miserable parents results in stressful

children.2

Although some people might think otherwise and believe that teachers are most responsible

for children, they are wrong. While teachers are responsible for teaching children curriculum, they

do not compare to the responsibility that parents hold when it comes to teaching children right

from wrong. There are 4 types of teaching styles that impact a child. Like authoritative parenting,

there is also authoritative teaching (Bernstein). Although this parenting and teaching style is

basically the same, parents clearly have more responsibility considering that the child is always

with them and the parents being their biggest disciplinarians. Teachers are most responsible for a

child's academic knowledge while parents cover the real-world preparations. Teachers do not

influence or impact a child's behavior as much as parents do. Parents also have more control over

their children than teachers. For example, a child can be grounded and have harsher consequences

from a parent, but all teachers can really do is write them up or give them a detention. To conclude,

teachers do not influence or impact a child’s behavior as much as parents.

Lastly, some people could think that coaches have a larger impact on children than parents

do, but a coach strictly teaches a child how to be successful in athletics, not how to behave or act.

Although a coach can teach a child discipline and respect, parents are more responsible because

they have more things to be cautious about around their kids and they are the main caregivers; for

example, housing and personality influence. Parents take responsibility for the household in which

they raise their child, and they are also responsible for what they say around their children. Coaches

mainly influence encouragement, teamwork, and leadership (North). Kids would not be able to

2 Pathos- This shows pathos because the word choice is stimulating to the readers emotion.
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verbally communicate with a coach or even be able to obey him/her if it was not for the way they

were raised. For a child to listen to a coach, they need to have the right manners and a good

behavior. Coaches are able to help children further their athletics, but parents show the most

responsibility in child behavior by preparing them to be coached.

In conclusion, parents are in control of children's behavior. They control how they develop

and act through home life and their own behaviors, personalities, and actions. Parents prepare

children for the future more than anyone else. They prepare their kids for school and sports through

discipline and lessons at home. Parents use proper forms of punishment but also respect their child,

which shows the child the domination and responsibility that parents have. Once again, there are

other people like teachers and coaches that can influence child behavior but, parents are the biggest

influence in any child's life. American Politician, Jane D. Hull once said, “At the end of the day,

the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents.” Parents

are the true influencers. 3

3Diction – This statement is straight forward and powerful. It shows that parents are the most influential rather
than anyone else.
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Works Cited

“A Child’s Early Home Environment has Long-Term Effects on Development.” Urban Child

Institute.

Bernstein, Douglas A. “Parenting and Teaching: What's the Connection in Our Classrooms?”

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Sept. 2013,

www.apa.org/ed/precollege/ptn/2013/09/parenting-teaching.aspx.

“Family Structure and Children’s Behavior.” irp.wisc.edu

Grusec, Joan E, and Tanya Danyliuk. “Parenting Skills | Parents' Attitudes and Beliefs: Their

Impact on Children's Development.” Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, Dec.

2014, www.child-encyclopedia.com/parenting-skills/according-experts/parents-attitudes-

and-beliefs-their-impact-childrens-development.

North, Cat. “How Coaches Influence Athletes.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group,

www.livestrong.com/article/510784-how-coaches-influence-athletes/