Family Context of Development – Flashcards

Family is a complex system of interrelated and interacting parts: Parents Siblings Culture SES Parent-child and sibling relationships involve mutual processes: reciprocal socialization Reciprocal Socialization Socialization that is bidirectional with children socializing parents as parents socialize children Dyadic (two-person) and polyadic (more than two people) systems interact and influence each other Promoting marital satisfaction often leads to good parenting - the better your marriage the better parent you will be

Interaction between Children and Their Parents: Direct and Indirect Effects

Parenting isn't innate Parenting calls on a number of interpersonal skills and makes intense emotional demands, yet there is little in the way of formal education for this task. Most parents learn parenting practices from their own parents Husbands and wives may bring different views of parenting to the marriage Unfortunately, when parents' methods are passed on from one generation to the next, both desirable and undesirable practices are perpetuated. Parental Roles and the Timing of Parenthood Many adults decide when they would like to become parents and consider how parenting will fit with their economic situation. The prospective parents may have mixed emotions and romantic illusions about having a child. Currently, there is a tendency to have fewer children. The age at which individuals have children has been increasing In 2008, the average age at which women gave birth for the first time was 25 years of age, up from 21 years of age in 2001.

Children change as they grow from infancy to early childhood, through middle-late childhood & adolescence E.g., 5 year old and the 2 year old have different needs and abilities A competent parent adapts to the child's developmental changes E.g., some parenting changes include discipline methods, academic support, involvement in social activities.

Infancy/Early Childhood Routine caregiving in 1st year Disciplinary approach changes (e.g., physically remove vs. reasoning) Display of physical affection changes Focus on routine, self-regulation, autonomy Middle/Late Childhood Less time together Supporting role in academics and social activities Co-regulation *you are responsible for knowing the details of how parenting changes across each of the developmental stages in childhood - page 398

The role of cognition in family socialization comes in many forms: parents' cognitions beliefs values about their parental role how parents perceive, organize, and understand the children's behaviors and beliefs Children's social competences linked to their parent's emotional lives. Through interaction with parents, children learn to express their emotions in appropriate ways Parental support and acceptance of children's emotions is related to children's ability to manage emotions positively. Emotion-coaching parents Monitoring children's emotions Viewing their children's negative emotions as opportunities for teaching Assisting in labeling emotions, and how to deal effectively with emotions Emotion-dismissing parents View their role as to deny, ignore, or change negative emotions

Parents can play important roles as managers of children's opportunities, as monitors of their lives, and as social initiators and arrangers. Managerial Role Maintaining a structured and organized family environment Effective Monitoring (esp. important as child moves into adolescence) includes supervising choice of social settings, activities, and friends Mothers are more likely than fathers to engage in a managerial role in parenting.

Good parenting takes time and effort Quantity vs. Quality It's not just the quantity of time parents spend with their children that is important for children's development; quality matters Diana Baumrind: (1971) believes parents should: be neither punitive nor aloof develop rules for their children be affectionate with children Baumrind's Parenting Styles (see page 401)

In 1960s observed preschoolers' classrooms and found that children who were most socially competent had parents who controlled child's behavior in a responsive and clear manner. Tracked young children into adolescence and found those from authoritative parenting backgrounds possessed optimal social (self-efficacy, self-control) and academic outcomes (intrinsic motivation, good grades) compared to authoritarian/permissive parents Methodology focused on comprehensive observations (before dinner time until prior to bedtime) and interviews with children and parents separately

Authoritative: Responsive but very demanding Strict but explains matters takes child into consideration, open to discussion (verbal give and take), parents are nurturing Authoritarian: Non-responsive but very demand Demands with obedience, restrictive (firm control & limits), punitive style, accept without question, little verbal exchange Indulgent: Very responsive, not demanding Highly involved, few demands, "be free" Indifferent/Neglectful: Non-responsive and not demanding Parent is uninvolved; neglectful, little interest in child, "parent-centered"

Authoritative associated with children's socially competent behavior Authoritarian children are often unhappy, fearful, anxious about social comparison, non-initiators, weak communication skills Indifferent/Neglectful associated with children's social incompetence, especially a lack of self-control and doesn't handle independence well Indulgent associated with lack of respect for others, difficulty controlling behavior, domineering, egocentric, noncompliant, difficulties in peer relations.

1. Good balance between restrictiveness and autonomy = opportunities to be self-assured 2. Engages children in verbal "give and take" = promotes intellectual and social thinking 3. Warmth = stronger attachment to parents; identify with parents 4. Reciprocal relationship between child and parent = child's behavior more "mature"

Authoritarian style may take on different meanings and have different effects depending on cultural context Asian American parents can exert considerable control; however, the control is seen as a type of training Ruth Chao - different meaning? Latino children reared with an emphasis on respect and obedience develop a self and identity that is embedded in the family (+) Authoritative parenting linked with children's competence across a wide range of ethnic groups, social strata, cultures and family structures

Approximately 80% of American children have 1 or more siblings Dimensions of sibling relationships Conflict: when they are 2-4 years of age, on average, have a conflict once per 10 min and then the conflicts decrease from 5-7 years of age Emotional support/Communication Partners: include helping, sharing, teaching, fighting, and playing Siblings and Parental Differential Treatment (PDT) and Favoritism As a child, did you feel like parents treated you and your siblings differently? How did that impact you? Siblings' direct contributions to development teach younger siblings, emotional support, caregiving/nuturance, social skills conduct problems Siblings' indirect contributions to development impacts parental expectations impacts parental self-esteem Birth Order Having older or younger siblings has been linked to development of certain personality characteristics 1st born: more mature, helpful, conforming, self-controlled, excel in academics/careers, increase in guilty, anxiety and stressful coping (latter born = rebellious, liberal, agreeable) Only children: achievement oriented, display desirable personality What accounts for such differences related to birth order? Variations in interactions with parents and siblings associated with being in a particular position in the family E.g., the oldest child is the only one who does not have to share parental love and affection with other siblings - until another sibling comes along When all of the factors that influence behavior are considered, birth order itself shows limited ability to predict behavior Some of the other important factors in children's lives that influence their behavior beyond birth order include heredity, peer, school, influences, SES, culture

Research about middle children? Psychological research pretty much nil Anthropological view Darwinian perspective Later borns = more radical

U.S. children are growing up in a greater variety of family contexts than ever before. Children are experiencing many sorts of care-giving - not only from stay-at-home mothers but also from stay-at-home fathers, from different types of child-care programs, and from after-school programs. The structure of American families also varies. The United States has the highest rate of single parents.

Increase in number of mothers in the labor force today Many moms spend the greatest part of their day away from their children More than 50% of moms with a child under 5 yrs. works More than 66% with a child from 6-17 years (finish slide) When both parents work, depending on the circumstances, work can produce positive or negative effects on parenting Many children of working parents participate in out of school care Independence Independence in children encouraged more by working parents Higher achievement expectations

U.S. divorce rate rose from the 60s to 70s but has been decreasing since the 80s. Half of marriages end in divorce Est. that 40% of children in U.S. will experience parents' divorce Some important questions a/b children in divorced families: Are children better adjusted in intact, never-divorced families? Should parents stay together for the sake of the children? What factors influence a child's vulnerability to suffering negative consequences as a result of divorce? What role does SES status play in children of divorced families? Remarriage is as commonplace as divorce About one fourth of all children of divorce will have a step-parent within 4 years of the separation There are more elementary and secondary school children than infant or preschool children living in stepfamilies Remarried parents must define and strengthen their marriage renegotiate the biological parent-child relationships establish stepparent-stepchild and stepsibling relationships

Cross cultural variations Arab Families: authoritarian, patriarchicial children are taught strict codes of conduct and family loyalty Chinese moms of preschool children Use more physical coercion more likely to encourage modesty more likely of shaming and love withdrawal decrease in warmth decrease in democratic participation than their US counterparts E.g., Amy Chua (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother)

Socioeconomic Status (SES) grouping of people with similar occupational, educational, and economic characteristics SES Variations in Families, Neighborhoods, and Schools families, schools, and neighborhoods of children have socioeconomic characteristics that can influence children's adjustment and development SES differences characterize family life and influence children's academic orientation and mental health Confounded with Ethnicity

Lower SES Parents Increase concern for their children's conformity to societal expectations More create authoritarian home atmosphere More use of physical punishment in disciplining their children More directive and less conversational with their children Higher SES Parens More concern with developing children's initiative and impulse control More create an authoritative home atmosphere Less Likely to use physical punishment Less directive and more conversational with their children