This article will discuss child development in my virtual life. I will explain in detail how the theoretical framework and parental decision-making that I used with my child from birth to age 18 influenced my decision-making and my virtual child's life. I will discuss how I believe the theories I used and decisions made impacted why my child is in the position he is, at 18 years old. To start, of Baumrind's four parenting styles, authoritarian, authoritarian, permissive and disengaged, I chose authoritarian. Authoritative parenting presents a high level of demands while at the same time exercising the same degree of responsiveness, leading to a child who is independent, creative, well-rounded and leads a relatively social lifestyle. I believe that setting rules and expectations for a child gives them the guidance they need at a young age, otherwise they will be left to blindly fend for themselves, leading to irresponsibility, impulsiveness and a tendency to use substances. It is equally important for a parent to be warm, caring, and not only say they love their children, but also express it through actions and understanding (Arnett, 2016). When Joshua was about 8 months old, I started leaving him with an occasional babysitter. He cried when I left and for a short while afterward, but when I returned, he greeted me at the door enthusiastically. This is an example of Bowlby's secure attachment. In Bowlby's Strange Situation theory, a child would show secure attachment to the parent by crying when the parent left the room and then crawling back to feel safe again. I wanted Joshua to be comfortable in new situations, but at the same time I wanted him to start believing that I would come back. According to Bowlb... middle of paper ...... would be the value and credit he places on his academic success, which could subsequently enable him to obtain a scholarship for his studies. And finally, his chronosystem was affected during his adolescence when his father lost his job. As a family, we have been forced to cut back on our spending, which is the only way Joshua has been affected. If Joshua had turned 40 and lost his job, the stress would have been insurmountable, compared to that of his father who lost his job when he was just 16 years old. Historically, if women had never had the employment opportunities as they do today, our family would have been a one-income family, greatly reducing our ability to allow Joshua to participate in extracurricular activities like baseball and the music he loves so much. Without these opportunities, Joshua may not have succeeded in his studies and would not have had access to outside resources..