Parenting Matters

Parenting Matters PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309388570
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 525

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Book Description
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.

Children's Influence on Family Dynamics

Children's Influence on Family Dynamics PDF Author: Ann C. Crouter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135632812
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Any parent who has raised more than one child is likely to be keenly aware of subtle or even striking differences among their offspring. The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships, and even processes that family researchers have called "parenting." The chapters address how children's personal qualities make their mark on families in ways that may in turn influence children's subsequent development. The volume is based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on "Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships" held at the Pennsylvania State University, as the ninth in a series of annual interdisciplinary symposia focused on family issues. It is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the topic. Part I sets the stage by focusing on the features of children that make a difference, as well as the kinds of research designs that are likely to shed light on the role of child influences. Part II focuses on early childhood, particularly the role of infant temperament and other individual differences in very young children in shaping their parents' behaviors, reactions in turn that feedback and influence the developing child. Part III focuses on adolescence, a time when young people are able to exert more choice in how they spend their time and who they spend it with. Part IV pulls the themes of the volume together and points the way for future research.

21 Days to a Happier Family

21 Days to a Happier Family PDF Author: Justin Coulson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 1460705882
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
Dr Justin Coulson, resident parenting expert on Channel 9's Parental Guidance, draws on positive psychology to gives parents ways to make their family happier than ever, starting today! 'Parenthood can be a jungle, but Justin's advice and simple strategies will help you find that path back to sanity, stability and smiling kids.' - Lisa Wilkinson Everyone wants their family to be happy, but so much gets in the way - work stress, commitments and our children's challenging behaviour are some of the usual suspects. Less obvious obstacles are our own habits and expectations, a reactive parenting style, and even a lack of clarity about what makes a family truly happy. As a result, families often seem fragmented, stressed and out of control. Kidspot parenting expert Justin Coulson knows how to make families happier. In this book, he combines cutting-edge insights from positive psychology with classic psychological research to help parents identify and develop habits that will strengthen their family. In his trademark warm and empathic style Justin covers topics like finding the most effective parenting style for your child, getting relationships right and how that leads to effective discipline, using mindfulness in parenting, being emotionally available to your children - and so much more. 'Justin Coulson's compassionate and helpful advice helps me unravel my many parenting dilemmas' - Jessica Rowe

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309324882
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 706

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Book Description
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.

How to Influence Children

How to Influence Children PDF Author: Charles E. Schaefer
Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description


Understanding Peer Influence in Children and Adolescents

Understanding Peer Influence in Children and Adolescents PDF Author: Mitchell J. Prinstein
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1593853971
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
Scientists, educators, and parents of teens have long recognized the potency of peer influences on children and youth, but until recently, questions of how and why adolescents emulate their peers were largely overlooked. This book presents a comprehensive framework for understanding the processes by which peers shape each other's attitudes and behavior, and explores implications for intervention and prevention. Leading authorities share compelling findings on such topics as how drug use, risky sexual behavior, and other deviant behaviors "catch on" among certain peer groups or cliques; the social, cognitive, developmental, and contextual factors that strengthen or weaken the power of peer influence; and the nature of positive peer influences and how to support them.

Child Temperament: New Thinking About the Boundary Between Traits and Illness

Child Temperament: New Thinking About the Boundary Between Traits and Illness PDF Author: David Rettew
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 039370730X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
This work explores the differences between temperamental traits and psychological disorders. What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and one who has depression? Can a child be angry by temperament without being mentally ill? Here, the author discusses the factors that can propel children with particular temperamental tendencies towards or away from more problematic trajectories.

Raising Happiness

Raising Happiness PDF Author: Christine Carter, Ph.D.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345515625
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
What do we wish most for our children? Next to being healthy, we want them to be happy, of course! Fortunately, a wide array of scientific studies show that happiness is a learned behavior, a muscle we can help our children build and maintain. Drawing on what psychology, sociology, and neuroscience have proven about confidence, gratefulness, and optimism, and using her own chaotic and often hilarious real-world adventures as a mom to demonstrate do’s and don’ts in action, Christine Carter, Ph.D, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, boils the process down to 10 simple happiness-inducing steps. With great wit, wisdom, and compassion, Carter covers the day-to-day pressure points of parenting—how best to discipline, get kids to school and activities on time, and get dinner on the table—as well as the more elusive issues of helping children build healthy friendships and develop emotional intelligence. In these 10 key steps, she helps you interact confidently and consistently with your kids to foster the skills, habits, and mindsets that will set the stage for positive emotions now and into their adolescence and beyond. Inside you will discover • the best way avoid raising a brat—changing bad habits into good ones • tips on how to change your kids’ attitude into gratitude • the trap of trying to be perfect—and how to stay clear of its pitfalls • the right way to praise kids—and why too much of the wrong kind can be just as bad as not enough • the spirit of kindness—how to raise kind, compassionate, and loving children • strategies for inspiring kids to do boring (but necessary) tasks—and become more self-motivated in the process Complete with a series of “try this” tips, secrets, and strategies, Raising Happiness is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you instill joy in your kids—and, in the process, become more joyful yourself.

What If Everybody Did That?

What If Everybody Did That? PDF Author: Ellen Javernick
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
ISBN: 9780761456865
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
"Text first published in 1990 by Children's Press, Inc."

The Nurture Assumption

The Nurture Assumption PDF Author: Judith Rich Harris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684857073
Category : Child development
Languages : en
Pages : 486

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Book Description
Harris takes on the "experts" and boldly questions conventional wisdom of parents' role in their children's lives, asserting that it's not the home environment that shapes children, but the environment they share with their peers.