ECE 355 UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOR & FAMILY DYNAMICS FINAL

WEEK 1 DQ

How Parenting Has Changed

Describe at least two ways in which you think parenting has significantly changed over time, citing the article or the text.

· Contemporary parents can find a babysitter with the tap of a screen.

25 years ago, parents relied on relatives, usually their parents or hired a neighborhood babysitter. As a teenager I remember babysitting for most of my family. With the internet and instant background checks parents can go online and hire a sitter or sitter in a matter of minutes.

· Parents have to worry about cyberbullying.

With the advances in technology and children having access to internet and various social platforms and apps, cyberbullying is a concern. Parents can take precautions with screen time limits and parental controls. But the possibility of a child being bullied online is still real. If gone unchecked it can lead to depression, fights, withdrawal, and in some cases has led to suicide. It is necessary for parents to play and active role in their child’s online usage without being overbearing.

Discuss at least two parenting strategies or ideas that were shared in the article that you found unexpected or surprising and why you found them unexpected or surprising.

· They rely on the internet for advice.

I found this surprising because you would think they would rely on their family, especially first-time mothers. What I’ve noticed is they will check the internet, then check what they researched against advice from family and friends.

· So fewer parents are sending their kids to private schools.

“As education gets more expensive, the number of kids going to private schools is dropping significantly, too. In fact, the number of children in middle-class homes attending private school was down nearly 50 percent between 1968 and 2013, according to data from the  U.S. Census and the Current Population Survey (Links to an external site.) ” (Crow, 2019).

Describe how using this information, along with your knowledge of child development, might help you in your current or future work with families.

This information along with my experience working with families is valuable in helping to bridge positive relationships between the child, family, and teacher. Knowing my families and what’s important to them will help in forming supportive relationships. Also having offering and open door for communication, helps families feel at ease.

 

Reference

Crow, S. (2019, June 14). 50 ways parenting has changed in the last 50 years. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://bestlifeonline.com/ways-parenting-has-changed/

WEEK 3 DQ 2

ARTICLE:  Stepfamily relationship quality and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems

· Professionals need to keep in mind that blending families can have unique challenges.

· Statistically nearly one-third of all marriages are blended families. 

· Also, keep in mind that each family is created differently. It could be a husband never married with no kids, to a wife with children. He may struggle with parenting skills or discipline. Or a wife previously married no children, to a husband with children. 

COMMUNITY RESOURCE

There are several programs in the U.S today that support blended families. “Austin Blended Family” is a program here in Austin, TX through Thriveworks that provides skilled counselors and coaches to help with issues blended families may encounter. They discuss such things as, a new marriage coming from a tragic loss, or bitter divorce. Teenage children and younger new siblings, resentment, friendship, positive parenting techniques. All offered calmly and lovingly due to the sensitive nature of the transition period

ONLINE RESOURCE

A look at different types of stepfamilies can highlight the unique challenges each stepfamily may encounter.https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/blended-families 

This online article offers advice to blended families. Some advice includes discipling children, respect, household duties and establishing fair arrangements. It offers different scenario’s and outcomes for blended families. This allows the reader to see themselves in the scenario and understand what others in the family may be facing also. The article also allows the reader to recognize all the members of the family who will be affected by a blended family.

Week 5 DQ 1

There are trainings and workshops that parents can take in order to encourage positive parenting. The strategies that are taught increase good interactions between parents and their children and cuts down on demands and authoritative demands. Wardle & Fitzpatrick (2016) states, “Programs that include opportunities for parents to receive support from peers have also been found to positively impact children's cognitive development and strengthen family bonds by giving parents opportunities to share and discuss their experiences in a supportive environment.”

Back talk and attitude is a negative response when children do not having enough control of their own life. When a child back talks, they are letting adults know that they do not have enough power over their own life. In order to help this situation, children despite the age (whether it is a young child or teenager) should be give some type of responsibility. Children deserve to have some type of control of their life even if it is by doing a simple task on their own.

Routines are a tool to make parenting easier. There are several types of routines such as morning and bedtime routines. Things to keep in mind when having routines are training, empowerment, attention and power, and consistency. It is important to practice the routines before setting it in place. Without practicing a routine, it can seem like parents are just telling the child(ren) what to do. Children are aware that the routines are set in place for a reason, but when they do not follow the routines as planned it is a way to get their parents attention. When the child is being difficult during a routine and a parent gets visibly upset, the parent experiences a loss of power. Keeping routine consistent is important in order to keep the routine going strong.

To eliminate back talk, it is better to give the children some control over their life. The example that was used in the video was that a teenage boy was talking back to his parents about doing homework. McCready stated that it would be best to give the teenage boy control over doing his homework and that there would be a consequence of not having completed the assignment(s) with his teacher. Parents might be able to use this technique by holding the child accountable for their own actions for certain tasks. Now that most children are participating in distance education, it could be as simple as allowing the child to pick which assignment they would like to complete as opposed to being told which assignment they must complete by their parent(s) or caregiver.

Parents are able to use this information by creating a routine with the input of their children (this will allow the children to feel like they have a choice in the matter) and by practicing the routine. Practicing routines before establishing them can be helpful because it shows the parents what works and was does not work. Whatever does not work can be changed to better suit the child or children. Routines can also be something that a child could do on their own such as waking up by using an alarm and going down a list of things they must to complete the routine. Allowing a child to do a routine by their selves gives them a sense of control over their life. When the child or children follow the routine effectively, there is no power struggle between the children and parents. Keeping the routine consistent will help the child and parents stay on track.

Reference Wardle, F., & Fitzpatrick, T. (2016). Children & families: Understanding behavior & dynamics. Bridgepoint Education.

WEEK 5 DQ 2

A negative form of communication is nagging and lecturing. Nagging is said to be repeating the same thing over and over again. Lecturing is providing information or knowledge on a specific topic without allowing the other person/people to give their input. According to Center for Effective Parenting, “Nagging and lecturing cause children to stop listening or to become defensive or resentful.” A more effective form of communication would be to say what is needed to say once, if the child does not respond positively parents should set up other consequences would be a time out or taking away an item such as a bike when it is used at undesignated time.

Another negative form of communication is criticizing. It is not ideal for parents to judge the thoughts, emotions, or ideas of their children. Criticizing children makes them feel like their feelings, thoughts, or ideas are not valid. Making a child feel like this has a negative impact on their self-esteem. The article states, “When necessary, parents should criticize behavior, or what children have done, not children themselves.” Instead of criticizing your child, a good form of communication is to validate their emotions, thoughts, or ideas.

Reference

Zolten, K., Long, N. (2006). Parent/ Child Communication. Retrieved from https://parenting-ed.org/wp-content/themes/parenting- ed/files/handouts/communication-parent-to-child.pdf