1. Taking Care of Children’s Basic Needs
(Content based on Dr. Abraham Maslow’s theory and copyright materials from
1. Copyright, Copying, and Trademark
The entire PPFA Web site is copyrighted 2005 by PPFA. Certain articles or materials within the Web site are also separately copyrighted by PPFA or by others, including other Planned Parenthood entities, as indicated. All rights reserved. If you find these materials useful, you may download, print out, or send a copy to others so long as each copy indicates the appropriate copyright notice and is used only for personal use. It is expressly prohibited, however, to reprint or electronically reproduce any text, document, graphic, or audio or visual material for bulk or commercial use. For special copyright permissions, or to purchase PPFA publications and pamphlets, please write to: PPFA Marketing Division, 434 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001, or

2. Children’s Bodily Needs (Level One)
An essential need for food, water, air, and sleep
At birth, children will first depend on parent to provide nutritious foods, clean water and air, and a place to sleep

3. Reality Check for Parents
Level-One Reality Check — Needs of the Body
Realistic   Unrealistic     [ ]           [ ]         Can I provide my child with nutritious food?   
    [ ]           [ ]         Can I allow my child to get plenty of sleep, regularly?
    [ ]           [ ]         Can I keep my child clean?
    [ ]           [ ]         Can I be sure my child receives regular medical care?
    [ ]           [ ]         Can I comfort my child when she or he needs to cry?

4. Level-One Reality Check — Needs of the Body
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level one” needs help their children go on to develop needs for feeling safe and secure

5. Feeling Safe and Secure (Level Two)
A need for protection from physical and emotional harm, and freedom from fear
Parents are often the people children fear most

6. Feeling Safe and Secure (Level Two)
How parents deal with their anger has a lot to do with how safe and secure children feel
We must set good examples of love and compassion

7. Feeling Safe and Secure (Level Two)
When troubles arise or mistakes are made we must:
be patient and reasonable
keep the “lines” of communication open

8. Reality Check for Parents
Level-Two Reality Check — Needs for Safety and Security Realistic Unrealistic [] [] Can I provide a safe, comfortable place to live? [] [] Can I provide a good model of self-control whenever I’m angry? [] [] Can I avoid using physical force or threats? [] [] Can I talk about my point of view without accusing my child? [] [] Can I take responsibility for my own emotions and offer support and consolation to my child, no matter how angry I am or how frightened my child may be?

9. Level-Two Reality Check — Needs to Feel Safe and Secure
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level two” needs help their children go on to develop needs for affection

10. Children’s Needs for Affection (Level Three)
Children want, need, and deserve unconditional love
Children thrive on affection — emotional attachment, fondness, love, and devotion

11. Children’s Needs for Affection (Level Three)
Children learn about affection from the examples we set
We show them how people get along with one another
They learn from what we do and what we are

12. Children’s Needs for Affection (Level Three)
Affection between family members increases their joy and pleasure in life 
Kids from affectionate families are better equipped to cope with the frustrations and disappointments of daily life

13. Reality Check for Parents
Level-Three Reality Check — Needs for Affection Realistic Unrealistic [] [] Can I give my child unconditional love and physical affection? [] [] Can I provide a model for loving, respectful, and caring behavior? [] [] Can I help my child talk about, understand, and trust her or his feelings and needs? [] [] Can I accept my child as an individual whose feelings and needs are different from mine? [] [] Can I reward caring and affectionate behavior with caring and affectionate attention?

14. Level-Three Reality Check — Needs for Affection
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level three” needs help their children go on to develop needs for self-esteem

15. Children’s Needs for Self-Esteem (Level Four)
Self-esteem begins with receiving unconditional love and support — especially from their parents
Kids really want to know that they are "normal"

16. Children’s Needs for Self-Esteem (Level Four)
We must teach them that it is “normal” to be different
Giving our kids a sense of worth, competence, and normality will also help them develop respect for others

17. Children’s Needs for Self-Esteem (Level Four)
Praise is the best way to teach self-esteem
We should praise honesty, independence, talent, effort, fair play, and kindness

18. Reality Check for Parents
Level-Four Reality Check — Needs for Self-Esteem Realistic Unrealistic [] [] Am I more likely to praise than criticize my child? [] [] Do I reward positive behavior? [] [] Do I believe mistakes are good opportunities to provide positive learning experiences? [] [] Can I help my child learn to be proud of her or his body, appearance, talents, and intellect? [] [] Can I help my child take pride in her or his moral values, behaviors, and relationships? [] [] Can I apologize to my child? [] [] Can I offer my child reasonable alternatives, instead of commands?

19. Level-Four Reality Check — Needs for Self Esteem
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level four” needs help their children go on to develop needs for knowledge and understanding

20. Knowledge and Understanding (Level Five)
Parents provide experiences that stimulate a child’s thirst for knowledge and understanding

21. Knowledge and Understanding (Level Five)
We must reward children with approval when they learn something new
We must provide daily opportunities for learning

22. Reality Check for Parents
Level-Five Reality Check — Needs for Knowledge and Understanding Realistic Unrealistic [] [] Can I reward my child for asking questions and support interests that are different from mine? [] [] Can I provide information and support during the changes of growing up? [] [] Can I patiently help my child with homework? [] [] Can I teach and play games with my child? [] [] Can I let my child win? [] [] Can I include my child in conversations with adults? [] [] Can I provide my child with varied social outlets? [] [] Can I be available whenever my child wants to talk?

23. Level-Five Reality Check — Needs for Knowledge and Understanding
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level five” needs help their children go on to develop needs for beauty and harmony

24. Beauty and Harmony (Level Six)
We all have a need for beauty and harmony in our lives
They provide us with a sense of balance and allow us to have hope for the future

25. Beauty and Harmony (Level Six)
This includes music and art, the natural world, our moral and spiritual beliefs, our social customs, our cultural heritage, and an appreciation for positive, caring, intimate relationships with other people

26. Reality Check for Parents
Level-Six Reality Check — Needs for Beauty and Harmony Realistic Unrealistic [] [] Can I share my dreams with my child and encourage my child to dream? [] [] Can I help my child appreciate the beauty of nature? [] [] Can I create an orderly family environment that includes music, arts, and crafts? [] [] Can I encourage my child to be creative — draw, paint, write, play an instrument, sing, or dance? [] [] Can I accept that my child will develop tastes and a personal style different from my own? [] [] Can I help my child appreciate the value of keeping physically fit?

27. Level-Six Reality Check — Needs for Beauty and Harmony
These are all realistic goals for parents
Parents who try to meet these basic “level six” needs help their children go on to acquire the need to develop and pursue personal goals.

28. Pursuing Personal Goals (Level Seven)
When our children attain the need to develop and pursue their own meaningful goals, they are on their way to independence
We all reach this stage at different times in our lives — if we reach it at all

29. Pursuing Personal Goals (Level Seven)
Some people never do
Unfortunately, it’s often a daily effort just to satisfy more basic levels of need

30. Level-Seven Reality Check — Needs to Develop and Pursue Personal Goals
Parents who have helped their children reach the seventh level — independence — have good reason to be proud