The subject of what is considered good parenting is something that will always be debated and it is almost impossible for find two sets of parents (or even two parents in the same couple) who completely agree. It is difficult to determine whether it is 'better' for children to pay more attention to parents than parents paying attention to children. In most cases, it is likely that for the happiest relationship and compromise the parents and children should pay attention to each other equally.
There are stages throughout the child's life where the amount of attention paid either way is likely to change. When a baby, the parent is likely to be watching and looking out for the newborn at every possible moment. In comparison, a baby is far more likely to be interested in trying to take in everything that is going on around it. When the baby grows a little older and is beginning to learn mannerisms and language, they are probably going to be watching what their parents do in more detail than the parent may be watching them. Skipping ahead to the teenage years, a hormonal fourteen year old will most likely be going out of their way to avoid paying attention to their parents. In some cases parents may relax how much attention they pay to their child but in others they can pay more to compensate for it not being returned.
In all of these examples there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to deal with the notion of how much attention should be paid. There will be deep-seated intuitions in both parent and child to pay attention to the other but how much that shows will depend completely on the context. Parents should not worry about what is considered 'better' but focus more on what works best for them and their child.
There are stages throughout the child's life where the amount of attention paid either way is likely to change. When a baby, the parent is likely to be watching and looking out for the newborn at every possible moment. In comparison, a baby is far more likely to be interested in trying to take in everything that is going on around it. When the baby grows a little older and is beginning to learn mannerisms and language, they are probably going to be watching what their parents do in more detail than the parent may be watching them. Skipping ahead to the teenage years, a hormonal fourteen year old will most likely be going out of their way to avoid paying attention to their parents. In some cases parents may relax how much attention they pay to their child but in others they can pay more to compensate for it not being returned.
In all of these examples there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to deal with the notion of how much attention should be paid. There will be deep-seated intuitions in both parent and child to pay attention to the other but how much that shows will depend completely on the context. Parents should not worry about what is considered 'better' but focus more on what works best for them and their child.
