How the Social Environment Affects a Child

Each of us is a product of the social environment in which we were raised. In other words, our traits are a reflection of the environment in which we live, and this is especially apparent in children and their behavior. When we havea stubborn child who is also irritable, this reflects the nature of a social environment charged with negative energy in which the child was raised and which made them irritable. Likewise, when we have a sensitive child, this reflects a family environment in which people are sensitive to the slightest actions and pass that sensitivity on to their child. Therefore, when we have a sensitive child, we must first understand and recognize that the child has a temperament different from that of other children. The child was not created sensitive and is not sensitive by nature; rather, there are many reasons why our child may be more sensitive than other children.

The impact of the social environment on a child

As mentioned earlier, our child is a product of the social environment we create for them. This can be explained through the following reasons why our approach to raising a child may make them more sensitive:

• First: A child may inherit certain personality traits from their family, such as introversion, a difficult temperament, difficulty adapting to change, rigid thinking, and other traits that may make the child more sensitive than others. Even if the child has inherited traits that increase their sensitivity, however, that sensitivity can be reduced if the family is able to respond effectively to the child’s difficulties.
• Second: A family’s sensitivity to comments that other people make about their children increases the child’s sensitivity. This happens because family members believe that no one should criticize the child or direct negative words at them. For example, grandparents may speak negatively to the child, compare them with relatives, shout at them, or insult them. The family does not accept such words being directed at their child because they believe they will break the child’s character and that their child cannot handle the resulting psychological harm, which will damage and weaken their personality.
• In reality, however, it is the family members who become upset and sensitive about the grandparents’ words. When the child notices that their family reacted sensitively to what the grandparents said, the child in turn becomes more sensitive when dealing with such situations.
• The appropriate response, therefore, is for family members to accept that their child can handle a negative situation better than they think. They should remember that, as the child grows older, they will face similar situations in their education and working life. The family should therefore trust the child and believe in their ability to handle negative feelings or insults. This will, in turn, be reflected in the child and make them stronger.

A child’s social and psychological environment: the gateway to raising a well-balanced child

The preceding discussion shows that the family forms the first circle of a child’s social environment. Whether the child is sensitive or has other traits is a product of the family’s reactions to what the child encounters. Returning to the previous examples, some families try to stop the grandparents from directing negative words at their children. This approach is possible, but it may create tension between the child’s family and the grandparents’ household, increasing conflict between them. It also does not create direct engagement between the child and the situation they are facing in a way that enables the child to confront it.

Other families prefer to sit with the child, talk to them, and teach them how to respond when they encounter negative words. They explain that the child cannot control what other people say but can control their own reactions. The child should not dwell on negative words directed at them and can tell their grandparents when their words are upsetting and ask them to stop.

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