Research Article 3: Questions I Want to Answer During My Research

1. When parents have more than one child, does that affect the way they are raised in terms of their birth order?
   1. I have always seen articles or various analysis’ regarding birth order, in terms of “eldest child,” compared to the “middle child,” compared to the “youngest child.”  Also, there is the myth of “middle child syndrome,” but why?  Is it because of the treatment they get by their parents, siblings, or other family members?  Personally, my family only has my brother and I, and I (the youngest) seem to be more laid back than my brother. I want to know the answer to see if this can deeply affect a child later in life, whether it be academically, socially, etc.
2. What are the specific toys that contribute to a child’s motor skill development that parent’s buy?  And which toys do NOT contribute?
   1. Motor skills are VERY important for a child to develop, and divide into two different sections (gross motor and fine motor).  Gross motor can be defined as actions such as running, jumping, and walking, while fine motor is more of holding a pencil and being able to write with it (proper hand + finger usage).  Usually, kids play with blocks to help this, but why is it that some kids still struggle to develop them?  Are their parents not providing the correct tools for them?  Is it something that occurred within the developmental process?  What can a parent further provide to ensure that their child obtains these necessary skills?  This certainly will tie in with my subject, but I also feel that it is knowledge I can use for the future, and provide my future students with the proper tools in my classroom to help them further develop.
3. What is the difference between a child raised by one parent compared to two?
   1. Whenever someone hears of a divorce that involves a child, there is an automatic sense of worry for the child (100% understandable), but why?  I want to see the long term affects that this could have on a child, most especially in terms of trust.  Also, eliminating the factor of divorce, if a child is raised by a single mother or a single father, does that lead to different outcomes as well, compared to a child raised by two parents within one household?  This intrigues me because I know many people who have been raised by divorced parents, and they express the effects that it has had on them (mentally) to me, and I feel like it is important to understand in terms of my freshman paper.