Comparative Report: Parent Milestone Expectations in Child Development

This report presents a comparative analysis of parent milestone expectations in child development, focusing on the perspectives of Anglo-Australian mothers, Anglo-Australian fathers, and Indian-Australian mothers. The study, conducted with a sample of parents having children under 10 years old, explores expectations related to education, self-care, compliance, peer interaction, communication, emotional control, and environmental independence. The findings reveal significant cultural variations, with Anglo-Australian mothers often anticipating earlier attainment of milestones like education and self-care compared to Indian-Australian mothers. The report highlights how cultural values shape parenting goals, with Anglo-Australians emphasizing self-reliance and individualism, while Indian-Australians may prioritize socialization skills. The study underscores the impact of cultural context on parenting styles and milestone expectations, offering insights into the diverse approaches to child-rearing within a multicultural society like Australia. The research used a questionnaire translated into local languages to ensure comprehensive participation and accurate data collection.

Running head: REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 1
Report on Parent Milestone Expectation
Name
Institution

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 2
Introduction
Culture to significant degree shows and determines the type of method to be used in child
rearing. Ideally, different societies expect different types of behaviors in their children, and
therefore, they will be compelled to employ child nurturing techniques that conform to the
acceptable norms of the society. For example, western-oriented cultures emphasize attainment of
self-reliance skills and communication at an early age compared to the Asian based culture
where socialization skills like emotional control are encouraged earlier. Australia being
multicultural has both the western and the Asian cultures. The study aims at comparing
parentage of the Indian Australian mothers, Anglo Australian mothers, and Anglo Australian
fathers, based on the time children are expected to have acquired competencies of
communication, environmental independence, emotional control, peer interaction, education and
self-reliance.
Literature Review
People from different cultures have different competencies that are encouraged at early
stages of development; these cultures are also expected to play a critical role in the achievement
of specific skills. Analysis of parental goals and expectations in child development from distinct
cultures in the world provides more light into the subject (Winskel, Salehuddin, & Stanbury
2013). An example is a comparison between the Japanese and American parent expectations, in
which the Japanese showed that they expected the early development of competencies such as
emotional strength and social courtesy compared to the Americans who anticipated the
development of verbal skills and peer socialization skills at an early age (Winskel, Salehuddin &
Stanbury, 2013). In another study, Indian mothers, Japanese and English mothers were put into

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 3
comparison based on the time they expected competencies such as self-care, compliance,
environmental independence, communication, emotional strength, and peer socialization. This
study established that Indian care providers were late in all competencies except the
environment-independence where they seemed to take place earlier as compared to English
mothers but late in comparison to Japanese mothers (Pinquart & Kauser, 2017).
These studies show how parents from different cultures have different views of child
development miles stones as well as different times when these developments are achieved. The
parental childrearing goals and expectations get shaped by the culture and the type of behavior
the society wants children to exhibit. Societies have different perceptions on which a person
views themselves and how they relate to others (Wise & da Silva. 2007). The western culture
reflects self-independence where uniqueness and separateness from others dominate, while the
Asians value connections and relationship with others in the community. The western culture
like America is individualistic, and therefore, verbal skill is emphasized compared to the
collectivism among the Japanese that encourages emotional control and group harmony in skills
at an early age (Ramaekers & Suissa, 2011).
Individualists tend to use authoritative parental control, where a parent shows a high
degree of care with simple rules that are well-understood by their children. Authoritative parents
practice permissive child rearing and exercise minimal control on the child’s behavior (Lee,
2014). The form of parenting tends to allow children to make decisions that are inappropriate age
wise. It the Anglo- Australians employs this style of parenting that makes their children
individual centered. Studies have shown that authoritative parenting yields a good result to the
child regarding psychological and educational growth (Park, Coello & Lau, A. S, 2014).
Contrary, the Asians exercise the authoritarian style of parenting where a parent exercises full

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 4
control on the child. However, authoritarian style of parenting yield same results of right
attitude to education and psychological development (Rubin & Chung, 2013). The two styles of
parenting can only prove beneficial when applied to their native places due to the difference in
cultures (Mesman, 2016).
The multicultural society of Australia shows the presence of both the western and the
Asian cultures. Anglo Australians being the native lean on the western culture while the Indian
Australians bear the Asian culture. Therefore parenting milestone expectations in these two
groups will depict the variance in their respective cultures (Megalogenis, 2017). Based on the
different studies on child development as carried out in the western countries and the Asian
context, this report aims to draw a comparison among the Indian Australian mothers, Anglo
Australian fathers, and Anglo Australian mothers.
Method of Research
The study was explored on 40 mothers-Anglo Australian, 40 fathers-Anglo Australian,
and 40 mothers-Indian Australian. Every parent who participated in this study had a child below
the age of 10 years. The age group of these mothers lied between 22- 48 years of age. The Anglo
Australians, both mothers and fathers, were born in Australia. The study’s data was collected
using a questionnaire that was translated into local languages and back to English through a
competent interpreter. The local languages employed in the questionnaire ensure that all
participants were able to give their contribution to the research comprehensively.
Results
Results from 40 Australian Indian mothers, 40 Anglo Australian fathers, and 40 Anglo
Australian mothers were compiled by use of analysis of variance series. The results are based on

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 5
seven milestones which are education, peer interaction, compliance, emotional control,
communication, self-care and environmental independence. It was found that Anglo Australian
mothers were earlier in the attainment of education milestone in their children compared to the
Indian Australians mothers.
In self-care, mothers of Anglo Australians were earlier as compared to mothers of Indian
Australians. On compliance mothers of Anglo Australians were earlier as compared to the fathers
of Anglo Australians and mothers of Indian Australians. Peer interaction depicted closely similar
outcome, and therefore, the expectations for the three groups vary by a small margin. On
communication, there was little difference between the groups. On emotional control, mothers of
Anglo Australians were earlier than the fathers of Anglo Australians and mothers of Indian
Australian. There was little difference in the expectation of the groups based on environmental
independence.
Discussion
From the study, Anglo- Australian mothers and Anglo Australian fathers have close to
similar expectations about children‘s education. On the other hand, mothers of Indian Australians
expect their children to pass the education milestone at an early age. This shows a significant
variation in the culture of the Indian-Australian and Anglo Australians. Culture to a great degree
determines the expectations of child growth on the parents. The Anglo Australians believe more
time should be taken before a child can count and write some alphabets. The Indian Australian
mothers show that they expect a child to pass the education milestone at a lower age.
Anglo Australian mothers expect a child to develop self-care skills at a lower age
compared to the mothers of Indian Australians and fathers of Anglo Australians. There is a close

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 6
similarity between the Indian Australian mothers and Anglo Australian fathers, about the time a
child should have self-care skills. The two allocate more time for the development of skills like
eating without help, dressing alone and brushing teeth well. The Anglo Australian mothers
contrary believe that self-care attribute should come early thus allocate less time.
The study also shows that Anglo Australian fathers and Australian Indian mothers had
almost similar view that children should take more time to develop compliance skills. The Anglo
Australian mothers believe that a child should be able to listen and obey some instructions at an
earlier age. It shows that Anglo Australian mothers expect children to develop virtues like
obedience and respect at a younger age compared to the Anglo Australian fathers. Recognition of
discipline among the Anglo Australian mothers is at a lower age. It is different from the Indian
Australian mothers and Anglo Australian fathers who expect a child to take more time before
they recognize and practice some form of respect to any person.
Indian Australian mothers and Anglo Australian fathers also have a closely similar view
on the age at which peer interaction skills develop. The two believe that a takes more time before
children build socialization skills. However, Anglo Australian mothers believe that children can
interact with others without conflicts at an earlier age. It also shows that according to the
leadership skills develop at an early age. The results on peer interaction skills show a difference
in the cultures of the Anglo Australians and Indian Australians (Bornstein, 2017).
The three groups show almost similar view regarding the time at which a child can
communicate. However, Anglo Australian mothers believe that a child should be able to
communicate slightly earlier. Indian Australian mothers still allocate more time for children
before they can answer questions correctly, give out clear opinions, as wells ability to handle

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 7
phone calls. Anglo Australians show that self-reliance starts as early as possible. Indian
Australians seem to allow more time for development of socialization skills in children. It seems
that interaction among Anglo Australians takes more time.
Anglo Australian mothers and fathers have an almost similar view on the age of which
children can control their emotions. However, Australian Indian mothers believe that children
take more time before they can avoid crying easily, not showing disappointment with gifts and
not show frustrations openly. It shows that the environment the children are subjected to
contributes little to the development of emotional strength (Wise & da Silva, 2007). On the other
hand, Anglo Australian mothers teach their children emotional control at a lower age. Their
culture allows virtues of patience to develop earlier compared to that of Indian Australian.
The three groups tend to agree on the age of environmental independence. The caregivers
seem to allow environmental independence at a higher age compared to other aspects of
emotional control and communication. There is a slight difference between the Anglo Australian
mothers for they expect environmental independence at a slightly lower age than the other
caregivers in question.
Most of the aspects that get considered as milestones in child development come earlier
according to mothers of Anglo Australians and later compared with fathers of Anglo Australians
and mothers of Indian Australians. Self-reliance skills get acquired at an early age as per the
expectations of the Anglo Australian mothers. Their children are more independent when
compared to the Indian Australian children. The difference can get accounted for by the different
conditions under which the children grow (Hartas, 2014). The culture of the Anglo Australians
advocates for individualism, where one develops the competence to rely on themselves at an

REPORT ON PARENT MILESTONE EXPECTATION 8
early age. Indian Australians, on the other hand, take more time to go past the development
milestones.
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