Parenting Matters
Parenting Matters

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-11-21

Total Pages: 525

ISBN-13: 0309388570

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Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Why Is My Child in Charge?
Why Is My Child in Charge?

Author: Claire Lerner

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-09-02

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 153814901X

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Solve toddler challenges with eight key mindshifts that will help you parent with clarity, calmness, and self-control. In Why is My Child in Charge?, Claire Lerner shows how making critical mindshifts—seeing children’s behaviors through a new lens —empowers parents to solve their most vexing childrearing challenges. Using real life stories, Lerner unpacks the individualized process she guides parents through to settle common challenges, such as throwing tantrums in public, delaying bedtime for hours, refusing to participate in family mealtimes, and resisting potty training. Lerner then provides readers with a roadmap for how to recognize the root cause of their child’s behavior and how to create and implement an action plan tailored to the unique needs of each child and family. Why is My Child in Charge? is like having a child development specialist in your home. It shows how parents can develop proven, practical strategies that translate into adaptable, happy kids and calm, connected, in-control parents.

The Psychology of Parental Control
The Psychology of Parental Control

Author: Wendy S. Grolnick

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2002-12-18

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1135659834

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What is parental control? Is it positive or negative for children? What makes parents controlling with their children, even when they value supporting children's autonomy? Are there alternatives to control and how might we apply them in important domains of children's lives, such as school and sports? This book addresses these and other questions about the meaning and predictors of parental control, as well as its consequences for children's adjustment and well-being. While the topic of parental control is not new, there has been controversy about the concept, with some researchers and clinicians weighing in on the side of control and others against it. This book argues that part of the controversy stems from different uses of the term, with some investigators focusing more on parents being in control and others on controlling children. Using a definition of control as "pressure for children to think, feel, or behave in specific ways," the author explores research on parental control, arguing that there is more consensus than previously thought. Using this research base, the author provides evidence that parental control can be subtle and can lurk within many "positive" parenting approaches; parental control undermines the very behaviors we wish to inculcate in our children; providing autonomy support--the opposite of control--is a challenge, even when parents are committed to doing so. With controversy in the literature about parental control and attention in the media on the ways in which parents step over the control line (e.g., screaming on the soccer sidelines, pressuring children in academics), this book is especially timely. It provides an empathic view of how easily parents can become trapped in controlling styles by emphasizing performance and hooking their own self-esteem on children's performance. Examples of how this can happen in academic, sporting, and peer situations with their emphasis on competition and hierarchy are provided, as well as strategies for parenting in highly involved but autonomy supportive ways. A highly readable yet research-based treatment of the topic of parental control, this book: *explores the controversial topic of parental control; addresses controversy about the positive and negative effects of parental control; and disentangles various parenting concepts, such as involvement, structure, and control; *illustrates how control can be overt, such as in the use of corporal punishment or covert, as in the use of controlling praise; *provides evidence that control may produce compliance in children preventing them from initiating and taking responsibility for their own behavior; *explores why parents are controlling with their children, including environmental and economic stresses and strains, characteristics of children that "pull" for control, and factors in parents' own psychologies that lead them to be "hooked" on children's performance; and *provides examples of control in the areas of academics and sports--the hierarchical and competitive nature of these domains is seen as contributing to parents' tendencies to become controlling in these areas.

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8
Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2015-07-23

Total Pages: 587

ISBN-13: 0309324882

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Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Time to Parent
Time to Parent

Author: Julie Morgenstern

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2018-09-04

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1627797440

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In Time to Parent, the bestselling organizational guru takes on the ultimate time-management challenge—parenting, from toddlers to teens—with concrete ways to structure and spend true quality time with your kids. Would you ever take a job without a job description, let alone one that requires a lifetime contract? Parents do this every day, and yet there is no instruction manual that offers achievable methods for containing and organizing the seemingly endless job of parenting. Finding a healthy balance between raising a human and being a human often feels impossible, but Julie Morgenstern shows you how to harness your own strengths and weaknesses to make the job your own. This revolutionary roadmap includes: A unique framework with eight quadrants that separates parenting responsibilities into actionable, manageable tasks—for the whole bumpy ride from cradle to college. Simple strategies to stay truly present and focused, whether you’re playing with your kids, enjoying a meal with your significant other, or getting ahead on that big proposal for work. Clever tips to make the most of in-between time—Just 5-15 minutes of your undivided attention has a huge impact on kids. Permission to take personal timewithout feeling guilty, and the science and case studies that show how important self-care is and how to make time for it.

Hayes and Williams' Family Law
Hayes and Williams' Family Law

Author: Stephen Gilmore

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 785

ISBN-13: 0199682186

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Fully updated by Stephen Gilmore and Lisa Glennon, the 4th edition of Hayes and Williams' Family Law provides comprehensive, critical and case-focused discussion of the key legislation and debates affecting adults and children. The book takes a critical approach to the subject and includes 'talking points' throughout each chapter which highlight areas of debate or controversy and help students develop their own ideas and analysis of the law. Review questions at the end of each chapter allow students the opportunity to reflect and apply their knowledge and offer the ideal preparation for exams and assessments. Cases are at the heart of family law and this textbook offers unrivalled case detail, with comprehensive summaries of key cases throughout the text to ensure students understand the development of family law legislation through the courts. Further case discussion is fully incorporated throughout the text to demonstrate complex points of law and offer a useful starting point for further research and debate. The text also includes a range of further features to support students studying the subject for the first time, including legislation extracts, contextual chapter introductions, and further reading advice, alongside a clear and engaging writing style.

Be a Great Step-Parent
Be a Great Step-Parent

Author: Suzie Hayman

Publisher: Teach Yourself

Published: 2010-10-29

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1444133993

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Written by the UK's number one parenting counsellor, Be a Great Step Parent: Teach Yourself is a practical guide to coping with the many issues faced by the blended family and deriving a positive relationship with your family members. It is full of straightforward and easy-to-follow advice that anyone can act on, with plenty of emotional support for you in times of need. It covers not just all the members of the family involved directly, but also such knock-on issues as grandparents and access. With help for children of all ages, mums and dads, it takes a step-by-step approach to the subject, covering everything from the earliest days of a new relationship to the issues raised by a new baby, with sensible information on finances and schools, and suggestions for stress-free holidays. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of PC care. THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

A Universal Child?
A Universal Child?

Author: Roger Smith

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2009-10-23

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1137084871

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Addressing questions about the cultural specificity of childhood, the complementary value of psychological, biological and social understandings of children, and the impact of policy and law on how children are dealt with and perceived, this will be a core text for many courses related to childhood studies.