Modifying the physical environment includes modifying housing, amenities and equipment. Individuals who are preparing to become a parent need to assess their current housing arrangement to cater for future dependents. It is important that individuals who are preparing to become a parent to modify their physical environment in order to enhance and satisfy their dependents overall well-being as it can have both positive and negative impacts upon the dependent. Individuals who reside with a roommate may need to consider upgrading housing arrangements so they have complete control of their physical environment.
For example the parents may emplace a child gate to areas such as the kitchen to prevent any harm on their toddler’s safety. Emplacing equipment such as child safety gate positively impacts the toddler’s physical well-being as they are not exposed to cutlery equipment that may lead the dependent to cut them. However if a parent decides to stay with a roommate, they may not allow any modifications to occur to their physical environment such as the child gate being placed in the kitchen. Hence this can have a negative impact on the toddler’s physical well-being as they have a higher chance of harming themselves due to exposer to cutlery devices and hot teapots in the kitchen.
Additionally as the dependent grows older they have different needs and hence it’s important for parents to re-modify their physical environment to adjust to changing situations. For example a 5 year old dependent is now attending school and parents need to modify their physical environment so that the environment allows the dependent to concentrate on their homework. They may need to purchase a study table and insert it in a room that associates the dependent with education as every time the dependent walks into the room it reminds them to concentrate on school work.
This has a positive impact on the 5 year old dependent’s social well-being, as the parents spend quality time interacting and helping their dependent with school work. This encourages the parent and their dependent to engage in communicating with each other as the parent sets activities to make sure the dependent understands the work in a fun way, which enhances their social well-being. Conversely if a parent isn’t able to modify their physical environment that allows their dependent to concentrate on their study it can negatively impact the dependent’s economic well-being in the long term. At this stage of the dependent’s life they don’t understand the value of education and if a parent doesn’t appropriately modify the physical environment the dependent won’t be able to concentrate on their study, as in the room they try to concentrate may be filled with their favourite toys that may distract the dependent from learning. If this continues to happen the dependent may not value education. This can negatively impact the dependent’s economic well-being in the long term as their need of education is not being satisfied and hence impacting on their employment opportunities.
Therefore it’s important for individuals’ who are preparing to become a parent to modify their physical environment to suit their dependents’ needs as it can have enormous impact on their well-being.