The field of child development offers a variety of careers for people interested in working with children and their families. This field is highly multidimensional, and different jobs may require people to work with children directly or with family, school, peer, cultural, and neighborhood contexts related to children. In this post, I will examine three career options in the child development field and discuss the one that interests me the most.
The field offers different career paths, depending on education, training, and certification. A child life specialist is a career in health care. Such specialists assist children and their families in navigating illness, injury, disability, trauma, or hospitalization (Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, 2021). Meanwhile, a family life educator provides families with the necessary knowledge and skills to enhance relationships within the family unit (National Council on Family Relations, 2021). Specialists in this field help families deal with economic, work-family, parenting, gender, and any other issues in the context of a family (National Council on Family Relations, 2021). Another career in the field of child development is early childhood educator. These teachers work with children in the school setting and help them learn and acquire new skills in a comfortable environment (Teacher Certification Degrees, 2021). Unlike the first two careers, early childhood educators work primarily with children, with less focus on the family context.
In summary, there are many career options within the child development field that involve working with children exclusively or with the whole family unit. Personally, I am drawn to the career of a family life educator. I believe it is crucial to address child development and issues arising during it within a family context. Certain topics and issues, such as sexuality and gender identity, may be too challenging for parents to navigate on their own. Therefore, parental education and active involvement are paramount for beneficial outcomes for the children involved.
Scholarly resource
Palm, G., & Cooke, B. (2018). Parent education and family life education: A critical link in early childhood education policy. National Council on Family Relations, 3(2).
The article is dedicated to the importance of family life education. Palm and Cooke (2018) note that children are rarely ready for school as parents may disregard this aspect. Thus, installing parent and family life education programs is crucial. Both parents and their children can benefit from parents being better prepared to deal with various issues. Furthermore, family life education should become central to early childhood education.
References
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. (2021).Child life specialist.Web.
National Council on Family Relations. (2021). What is family life education?Web.
Palm, G., & Cooke, B. (2018). Parent education and family life education: A critical link in early childhood education policy. National Council on Family Relations, 3(2). Web.
Teacher Certification Degrees. (2021). Early childhood educator career guide.Web.