Enhancing Responsive Care of Children: Culturally-Specific Implementation Strategies for Muslim Parents in the UK

Authors: Ali A*

DOI: 10.23880/pprij-16000380

Volume 9, Issue 1

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore Muslim parents understanding of responsive care and its impact on the emotional and cognitive development of their children, with a specific focus on the strategies they use for implementation. Responsive care refers to a caregiving approach that is adopted to meet changing needs of children. To achieve this, qualitative semi- structured interviews were conducted with six parents, four focus groups were conducted with eight Muslim parents and ten children studying at one local mosque in Midlands were observed. The findings of the study revealed that parents who have good understanding of faith believe that faith is a significant factor in the development of their children’s emotional intelligence and multilingual abilities. Additionally, it was found that parents believe that learning a second language is good for children’s cognitive and social development. Furthermore, they found their children improved literacy and higher level skills. Based on these findings, recommendations have been proposed, including the establishment of mosques offering classes for parents to enhance their understanding of responsive care. Furthermore, language classes for children from other faith traditions or no faith to develop understanding, and overall, this study highlights the importance of understanding responsive care in shaping children’s emotional, social and cognitive development in their early years.

Keywords: Responsive Care; Muslim Parents

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