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

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.

Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry
Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry

Author: Marv Penner

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9780310242161

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Kids in Your Youth Group Are Not Isolated Beingshellip; Ministry to Youth Means Ministry to the Families! Churches are hiring Youth and Family Pastors, finally, in an overdue ministry focus. A critical component of a family-based or family-friendly youth ministry is a conscious strategy for ministry to the parents of adolescents. Expectations and opportunities in the area of parent and family ministry have increased dramatically. Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry develops a model of parent ministry based on the belief that for a youth worker to be truly effective, it is important to lay careful relational groundwork to ensure that the right to be heard has been earned. Dr. Marv Penner, respected adolescent researcher, youth pastor, and family counselor, presents nine evolving levels of parent ministryndash;each one strengthening the credibility of the youth worker and opening doors to deeper and more meaningful parent support. Each of the nine levels is supported with a number of practical ideas and strategies for implementation. Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry provides both a theoretical framework and the tools for implementation in local-church or para-church settings. Marv constructs his effective plan in a "Paradigm Pyramid"-rationale and practical hands-on programming ideas at each of the nine evolving levels of parent ministry: Acknowledgement Affirmation Information Encouragement Connecting Equipping Involvement Educating Co-nurturing Bible-based, time-tested, innovative, experiential, adoptable! Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry is a foundational text in this vital area of youth ministry! Featured are sessions, sidebars, Web links, application points, contests and games, sample newsletter ideas, funky cartoons, and many worksheets (all downloadable and adaptable)!

The Essential Conversation
The Essential Conversation

Author: Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: 2004-09-28

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0345475801

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

With the insights she has gleaned from her close and subtle observation of parent-teacher conferences, renowned Harvard University professor Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot has written a wise, useful book about the ways in which parents and teachers can make the most of their essential conversation—the dialogue between the most vital people in a child’s life. “The essential conversation” is the crucial exchange that occurs between parents and teachers—a dialogue that takes place more than one hundred million times a year across our country and is both mirror of and metaphor for the larger cultural forces that define family-school relationships and shape the development of our children. Participating in this twice-yearly ritual, so friendly and benign in its apparent goals, parents and teachers are often wracked with anxiety. In a meeting marked by decorum and politeness, they frequently exhibit wariness and assume defensive postures. Even though the conversation appears to be focused on the student, adults may find themselves playing out their own childhood histories, insecurities, and fears. Through vivid portraits and parables, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot captures the dynamics of this complex, intense relationship from the perspective of both parents and teachers. She also identifies new principles and practices for improving family-school relationships. In a voice that combines the passion of a mother, the skepticism of a social scientist, and the keen understanding of one of our nation’s most admired educators, Lawrence-Lightfoot offers penetrating analysis and an urgent call to arms for all those who want to act in the best interests of their children. For parents and teachers who seek productive dialogues and collaborative alliances in support of the learning and growth of their children, this book will offer valuable insights, incisive lessons, and deft guidance on how to communicate more effectively. In The Essential Conversation, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot brings scholarship, warmth, and wisdom to an immensely important cultural subject—the way we raise our children.

Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children With Disabilities
Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children With Disabilities

Author: Janice M. Fialka

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2012-04-03

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1452283427

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Cultivate effective partnerships between parents and professionals through honest, respectful and skillful communication The authors draw upon the metaphor of "dance" to better understand the complexities and possibilities of forming partnerships between educators, administrators, early childhood providers, therapists, support staff, other professionals, and parents of children with disabilities. This revised edition of Do You Hear What I Hear? Parents and Professionals Working Together for Children With Special Needs is rich with stories, examples, and practical insights. This book, written from both the parent′s and the professional′s points of view, provides a developmental approach to understanding and forging positive adult relationships, while also providing concrete ways to advocate for children. The authors′ years of experience as successful consultants, trainers, and educators lends this helpful resource a deep sense of realism and compassion. They remind the reader of how essential the parent-professional partnership is—and why it IS a dance that matters. Key features include: Practical insights and evidence-based approaches to forming partnerships Easy-to-read, non-technical language that speaks to both the heart and the mind Sample letters and other forms of communication shared between professionals and parents Stories and examples of real-world conversations between parents and professionals Effective ways to handle difficult situations Rich with humor and heart, this highly readable book offers helpful steps for self reflection, personnel preparation, and parent-professional training. Educators and parents will find expert guidance for listening to each other′s music, trying out each other′s dance steps, and working toward a new dance that includes contributions from all—with the ultimate reward of seeing children achieve their highest potential.

The Difficult Parent
The Difficult Parent

Author: Charles M. Jaksec III

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2004-06-21

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1452222258

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this resource with a built-in facilitator's guide, Jaksec digs deeply into the problem of parental aggression, specifying strategies for a broad audience of educators using the effective RAID approach.

Attribution, Communication Behavior, and Close Relationships
Attribution, Communication Behavior, and Close Relationships

Author: Valerie Lynn Manusov

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-01-15

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9780521770897

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Attribution, Communication Behavior, and Close Relationships brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines whose work focuses on the interplay of attribution processes and communication behavior in close relationships. The book shows ways in which diverse scholarly perspectives can blend to provide insight into areas of common interest. In this case, it is the ways that people in relationships think about communication, make attributions through communication, and communicate about the attributions they make.

Children's Encounters with Death, Bereavement, and Coping
Children's Encounters with Death, Bereavement, and Coping

Author: Charles A. Corr, PhD, CT

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Published: 2010-01-15

Total Pages: 517

ISBN-13: 0826134238

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Childrenís Encounters with Death, Bereavement, and Coping is a very well researched document and well written by an impressive cadre of scholars....The book is a must read for marriage and family therapists, clergy, and pediatric care givers whose work intersects the lives of children and the social and environmental systems in which they live."--NCFR's Certified Family Life Educators Newsletter "[F]or the resource that offers one of the best bibliographies and guides to resources, for the book that contains theory, definitions, treatment modalities, helps, warnings, integration of people and programs, culural diversity...when it comes to all of this, we turn to Charles A. Corr and David E. Balk, editors of Children's Encounters with Death, Bereavement and Coping. It is a book you must have on your shelf, but don't let it sit there for too long without making good use of it."--Illness, Crisis and Loss "Current, filled with sound theory, wise clinical acumen, sound research, terrific resources, and a multicultural perspective, this book will be a necessary resource for clinicians and educators...."--Kenneth J. Doka, PhD Senior Consultant, The Hospice Foundation of America "Corr and Balkís book will help adults find many ways to lead bereaved children to a hopeful belief in their future, despite their considerable losses. This book is a real contribution to the growing literature in this field." --Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, LICSW, RPT-S Distinguished Professor of Social Work Emerita, Fordham University Children struggling with death-related issues require care and competent assistance from the adults around them. This book serves as a guide for care providers, including counselors, social workers, nurses, educators, clergy, and parents who seek to understand and help children as they attempt to cope with loss. This book comprehensively discusses death and grieving within the context of the physical, emotional, social, behavioral, spiritual, and cognitive changes that children experience while coping with death. The chapters also explore new critical, imaginative conceptual models and interventions, including expressive arts therapy, resilience-based approaches, new psychotherapeutic approaches, and more. Key features: Presents guidelines for assisting children coping with the loss of parents, siblings, friends, or pets Discusses ethical issues in counseling bereaved and seriously ill children Provides guidelines for helping children manage their emerging awareness and understanding of death Emphasizes research-based, culturally sensitive, and global implications as well as current insights in thanatology

Interpersonal Encounters
Interpersonal Encounters

Author: Laura K. Guerrero

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2022-05-12

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 1483311376

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

With a practical and innovative approach to the study of interpersonal communication, Interpersonal Encounters: Connecting through Communication, by Laura K. Guerrero and Bree McEwan, prepares students to become better communicators in their personal and professional lives.

Close Encounters
Close Encounters

Author: Laura K. Guerrero

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 2007-05-31

Total Pages: 457

ISBN-13: 141294953X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Using a relational approach to the study of interpersonal communication, this text provides comprehensive coverage of popular theories and concepts in interpersonal communication. The research base of the book draws from communication, but also emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the study of personal relationships.

Infants, Toddlers, and Families
Infants, Toddlers, and Families

Author: Martha Farrell Erickson

Publisher: Guilford Press

Published: 2002-03-01

Total Pages: 550

ISBN-13: 9781572307780

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The first three years of life play a crucial role in setting the stage for later adjustment and success. For children with disabilities, children at risk, and even for healthy infants and toddlers born into well-functioning families, support and early intervention can foster optimal growth and development. This concise and readable guide presents a developmentally sound framework for strengths-based intervention with parents and young children. The volume is filled with practical suggestions for building positive family relationships, cultivating parental knowledge and understanding of child development, and enhancing family support systems. Also featured is an extensive annotated bibliography that describes a wealth of additional resources for professionals and parents. Grounded in research and informed by wisdom from the field, this book provides essential knowledge and skills for professionals and students across a range of health care, social service, and educational disciplines.