CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The overriding joy of any couple throughout the world is to bear children. The arrival of such as child is a momentous occasion which is celebrated in different ways. While it is important for the couples to bear children, most of them often neglect the vital aspect of caring for their offspring. Every child needs love, care, protection and security from their parents and the society in which he lives. This foregoing assertion is supported by (Lee, 2002) she stated that young children are actively dependent on adults for their care and survival and that each child is expected to be looked after by his parents in the society in which they live.
Moreover, the issue of giving adequate care to children is quite vital because the quality of a nation depends to a large extent on the children. The way children are cared for in Esan South East varies depending on the financial strength of their parents.
Parenting is an activity rooted not only in one’s own childhood experiences, but in the culture one grew up and lives in. culture can have a powerful effect on parenting styles and practices, according to the centers for disease control and prevention. For example, a culture in which the father is expected to be a stern disciplinary and the breadwinner will have a different effect on child-rearing practices than one in which both parents work full time and parenting responsibilities are shared.
BEHAVIOURAL EXPECTATIONS
Parents have behavioural expectations about their chdirlen that are similar in many cultures, according to the centre for disease control (2013) among the areas of consensus; children should be respectful and polite, not interrupt, be honest, share and do well in school. However, some cultures have additional expectation. Parents expect children to exert self-control, while fathers often feel their children should have a religious or spiritual foundation. In Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, fathers often expect their children to be assertive, independent and willingly take responsibility for their mistakes.