In Part 2 we talk about talk about what your parents didn’t know. Let’s Talk About Conflict is a seven-part video series, each of 5–10 minutes duration, with supportive learnings and key takeaways.
Love and Care Shapes Your Child
Your everyday love and care is vital to shaping your child’s emotional and social development. Conflict can impact how you parent and the quality of the relationship you have with your child.
You Are Their Safe Place
Just as a plant needs energy from the sun to grow, a climate of care that fosters secure attachment lays the foundations for growth in your child’s higher brain, supporting their ability to stay calm, manage what they feel, and ultimately cope with stress and thrive in the real world. The first 1000 days of life – between conception and your child’s 2nd birthday – is a unique window of opportunity for you to build this sort of relationship with your child.
Secure attachments also underpin future relationships. A secure attachment to parents means a child is likely to be less distressed when separated from you, more confident mixing with others, and develop stronger social skills. As they venture out into the big world, they will be secure in the knowledge that there is a safe haven with you if they need it.
Conflict can impact how you parent. When you react, you are not as emotionally available to your child – not the secure base they need. Over time, that may shake their developmental foundations. If conflict goes on as a pattern, many parts of their emotional growth cannot take root…. And important parts of their emotional growth may start to wilt.
Reflections
Consider how you show your child love and care. Are you sensitive to their needs? Are you responsive and consistent in fulfilling them? Are you physically and emotionally available? These are simple ways in which you help your child develop and keep a secure attachment with you.
Watch the Full Series
The series is designed for use by parents, whether they live together or are separated. It is a practical tool to support them to reduce the impact of their conflict on their children’s emotional and social development.
Based on more than 20 years of scientific research and practice evidence, it features ideas and tips from experts that are direct and to-the-point. The series also highlights the real experiences of parents who have made real-life challenges related to the conflict in their family. To explore how parental relationships affect children, what the full series:
- Introduction: Let’s Talk About Conflict
- Part 1: What is ‘parental conflict’, and why should we talk about it?
- Part 2: What your parents did not know
- Part 3: How does parental conflict impact on child development?
- Part 4: How do children adapt to parental conflict?
- Part 5: How can parents manage parental conflict?
- Part 6: How can parents help repair damage from parental conflict?
Please note that Relationships Australia SA does not offer a certificate or verification of completion for these videos.
Acknowledgments
Let’s Talk About Conflict © was written by Jennifer E. McIntosh and Craig Olsson from the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED), Deakin University. It was produced by Relationships Australia SA.
English 
Arabic 
Chinese (China) 
Chinese (Hong Kong) 
Greek 
Italian 
Korean 
Panjabi 
Serbian 
Thai 
Vietnamese 
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Email