Family, Parental Responsibilities and Reproduction
The starting point of Child Development: what a family does for a child, the decision to have a baby, the rights of the child, and how the menstrual cycle, conception and the hormones of pregnancy work.
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Family and the start of life
Having and raising a child is one of the biggest decisions a family makes, and Child Development studies it from the very start. A family gives a child what it needs to grow: physical care, love and security, chances to learn, and contact with other people. Parents and carers share these responsibilities, and the wider family often helps too. Deciding to have a baby means thinking about many things, from money and housing to health and readiness, because a baby changes daily life a great deal. Every child also has rights, set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This module covers family roles and responsibilities, the decision to have a baby, the rights of the child, how the reproductive system and the menstrual cycle work, how conception happens, the hormones of pregnancy, and family planning. It keeps to plain, factual information throughout.
Child development words
Learn what each of these means before you use it.
Being ready, and what changes
A baby brings joy, and it also brings change. Weigh both sides.
Learn the four hormones in order
Four hormones do most of the work across the cycle, pregnancy and birth, and the trick is to learn them in the order they act rather than as a flat list. Think of a single story in four steps: the body first gets ready for a possible pregnancy, then holds on to a pregnancy once it has begun, then brings on the birth when the time comes, and finally feeds the newborn. Oestrogen, progesterone, oxytocin and prolactin each take one of those four jobs, in exactly that order. If you can retell that four-step story, you can place every hormone, because the sequence itself tells you which one comes when. Learn the story, not four separate words.
Match the hormone to its role
- oestrogen
- progesterone
- oxytocin
- prolactin
- builds up the lining of the uterus early in the cycle
- maintains the lining and supports a pregnancy
- makes the uterus contract during labour
- makes the body produce milk after the birth
The monthly cycle
In a typical cycle of about 28 days, what happens if the egg released at ovulation is not fertilised?
- the lining of the uterus is shed, which is the monthly period
- the lining thickens further and stays in place
- a baby begins to develop straight away
- the ovaries stop working for good
Responsibilities of parents
Select the TWO responsibilities that parents and carers have towards a child.
- Meeting the physical needs of the child, such as food and warmth
- Giving the child love, security and chances to learn
- Allowing the child to make every adult decision alone
- Leaving the child to raise itself
Days in the cycle
In a typical menstrual cycle of 28 days, ovulation happens about day 14. Subtract to find how many days there are from ovulation to the end of the cycle.
Order conception
Put these stages of conception and early pregnancy in order, earliest first.
- An egg is released from the ovary at ovulation
- The egg travels into the fallopian tube
- A sperm fertilises the egg in the tube
- The fertilised egg implants in the lining of the uterus
Complete the family facts
A family meets the physical, emotional and learning needs of a _____. Deciding whether and when to have children is called family _____. The rights of every child are set out in the UN _____ on the Rights of the Child. The point when a sperm fertilises an egg is called _____.
Match the need to how a family meets it
- physical needs
- emotional needs
- intellectual needs
- social needs
- food, warmth, clothing and shelter
- love, comfort and a sense of security
- toys, books and chances to learn
- time with family and with other people
Spot the true family facts
Tap the TWO statements that are true.
- Conception is when a sperm fertilises an egg
- Progesterone helps to maintain the lining of the uterus
- A baby makes no difference to the daily life of a family
- Children have no rights of their own
Think it through
Read each case and choose the best response, with a reason.
- A couple are thinking about whether they are ready to have a baby. Which is a sensible factor to consider?
- You are explaining why the lining of the uterus stays in place if a pregnancy begins. Which hormone would you name?
- A family wants to decide the number of children they have and when. What is this called, and why does it help?
Explain the role of the family
A friend is studying Child Development and asks why families and their responsibilities matter so much for a baby. Explain the roles of the family and what is involved in deciding to have a baby.
- Explain three needs a family meets for a child
- Explain two factors a couple should consider before having a baby
- Explain how having a baby changes family life
- Name one right of the child from the UN Convention
- Finish by explaining why the responsibilities of parents and carers matter for a child