Raising a profession

As a father of three children it is fascinating to watch as they grow and develop. Likewise it has been exciting to be part of the growth and development of the paramedic profession that has only recently completed its first decade with registration. Children follow a developmental pathway on their journey to becoming independent and hopefully balanced and objective adults. This commentary focuses on highlighting the potential parallels between raising, or developing, a profession and raising children which in turn underscores the nature of the process which takes place over many years and requires constant attention with important decisions to be made throughout.

A number of child development models exist but in general they focus on achieving milestones in a variety of domains over time. These domains are physical, mental, emotional and social development. The principles of child development include (Brandon, 2012):