Research Paper Example: The Effects of Parents' Education Level on Child Development in USA

The level of education of a parent greatly influences the development of the child. High level of education by a parent provides a platform in which a parent has easy access to income and other resources which allows the parent to have a higher involvement in the development of the child. A parents level of education influences the development of the child which can be attributed to as a relationship that is mostly mediated by various interactions among the process and status variables. The level of education of the parent is a major determinant in the occupational and educational success of the child. The parental education also acts a major determinant of behavioral outcomes of the child.

The level of education of a parent in the United States influences the development of a child in that it determines the behavior of the child. The education of the parent influences his/her knowledge of the values, beliefs and the goals concerning how the child should be brought up. When a parent has adequate knowledge regarding what is acceptable in a given culture the parent is in a position to educate the child as well. The parents who are well-educated act as mentors of their children since they have good jobs and most of them tend to be financially stable, and hence they encourage their children to emulate their behaviors so that they can also be successful. A parent who is well educated can behave professionally while solving various problems and through this, the behavior of the child is also improved since certain behaviors are instilled in a child through observing what the elders and their parents are doing. A parent who has a low level of education can easily mislead the child since the child acts in the same manner as the parent. Parents who have a low level of education involves themselves in mischievous behaviors and violence, and hence the child also starts acting violently since they do not know what is right or wrong (Dubow, Boxer, & Huesmann, 2009,p.224).

The level of education of a parent in the United States determines the childs educational performance. A parent who has a high level of education can assist the child with the class assignment and homework as well. The parent acts as a personal tutor of the child while the child is at home. This greatly improves the performance of the child as compared to a child whose parents have a lower level of education. A child who has good educational level determines the profession of the parent, and in turn, it determines the income of the parent. A parent who has a high level of education can take the child to a good school and also able to buy the child the required learning materials which help in boosting the knowledge of the child. For example, when a parent has a high level of education it facilitates the ability of the parent becoming involved in the childs education, and the parent is in a position to model and acquire different social skills as well as various problem-solving strategies that boosts the childs school success. A parent who has a lower level of education have lower learning strategies which are effective that they can enforce on their children. According to a recent study that was conducted to explore the relationship that exists between the parents level of education, the self-efficacy of the parent, the parents level of education and program participation acted as a great determinant in the academic ability of the child (Jeynes, 2011, p. 35).

The level of education of a parent affects the occupation of the child in the future. According to an OECD report, the hourly wage rate of the workers whose parents were more educated was higher as compared to the hourly wage rate of the workers whose parents were less educated or had lower qualifications. The economic outcomes of the people in the United States are greatly associated with their parents level of education. A parent who is educated can guide the child on the advantages and disadvantages of venturing in a given occupation since they have adequate knowledge and experience. The children whose parents are educated can venture in good occupations and careers since their parents are in a position of educating them and also take them to good schools and as a result, they can acquire the right skills required in different occupations. A parent who has a high level of education results in the occupational prestige of the child when he/she becomes an adult in the United States (Davis-Kean, 2005, p.294).

In conclusion, the level of education of a parent in the United States has a great impact on the development of the child. The parents education level usually determines how a child behaves, the educational performance of the child and the occupation of the child when the child becomes an adult. A parent who has a high level of education in the United States have a higher chance of acquiring higher incomes and hence can take the child to a good school up to the University level.

References

Davis-Kean, P. E. (2005). The influence of parent education and family income on child achievement: the indirect role of parental expectations and the home environment. Journal of family psychology, 19(2), 294.

Dubow, E. F., Boxer, P., & Huesmann, L. R. (2009). Long-term effects of parents education on childrens educational and occupational success: Mediation by family interactions, child aggression, and teenage aspirations. Merrill-Palmer quarterly (Wayne State University. Press), 55(3), 224.

Jeynes, W. (2011). Parental involvement and academic success. New York: Routledge.