Infant & Toddler Development Part 7: Parenting & Child Care

Infant-Toddler Dev 7:D.Richardson 1

Infant & Toddler DevelopmentPart 7: Parenting & Child Care

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension ServiceCore In-Service

December 8, 2008 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Debbie RichardsonParenting Assistant Extension SpecialistHuman Development & Family Science

Oklahoma State University

Infant-Toddler Dev 7:D.Richardson

Introduction

2

Welcome

Centra Instructions

Overview of In-service

Resource Materials

Infant-Toddler Dev 7:D.Richardson

In-Service Objective

3

Extension Educators will be able to identify important roles, influences, and considerations of parenting and

child care in the development of infants and toddlers (birth to 3

years).


Parenting


Emotional ExperiencesChildren’s different emotional

needs must be met at each stage of life.

Ongoing Positive Human Relationships

Children must be able to share their feelings, be understood and valued, need time, interest, love

and support.

Physical CareChildren need health & medical care, nutritious food, protection

from abuse & neglect, and nurturing and support for growth.

Parenting Pyramid


1. Image-making 2. Nurturing3. Authority4. Interpretive5. Independent6. Departure

Pregnancy Birth – 2 2 – 5 years Preschool-12 years Teenage years Child leaves home

Galinsky, 1987

Stages of Parenthood


Major Aspects Parenting Behavior

Parental Responsiveness Parental Demandingness

◦Love◦Warmth◦Nurturance

o Disciplineo Control


Indulgent – permissive, nondirective, more responsive than demanding.

Authoritarian – autocratic, highly demanding and directive but not responsive.

Authoritative – both demanding and responsive, supportive rather than punitive.

Uninvolved – unengaged, low responsiveness and low demanding.

Baumrind, 1991

Parenting Styles


Emotional bond between infant and a caregiver; mutual, reciprocal relationship.

Gradually develops - usually formed by 7 mos. Early experiences influence sense of control,

security, self-worth. Repeated daily transactions between infant

and parent lead the infant to develop expectations about caregiving. Sense whether caregiver is predictable, responsive, and available to meet needs.

Infants need safe, secure, stable caregiving.

Attachment Revisited


Infants/toddlers with close, positive, and mutually responsive bond with mother during first 2 years are better able to follow mother’s requests not to do something and control their actions at age 4 than do children without parental bond.

Such bonds include coordinated routines, mutual cooperation, harmonious communication, and sharing positive emotions and interactions.

Found the need for forceful discipline was reduced. Similar findings for father-child link, yet reasons less

clear.Kochanska, Aksan, Prisco, & Adams (2008)

Early Bonds are Beneficial


A father’s presence during first years provides tremendous benefits to their child’s development.

It is important for dads to be involved in all aspects of care including feeding, bathing, dressing, playing and other parental responsibilities.

Fathers


Fathers contribute to their child’s development in ways that are unique from mothers.

Fathers tend to interact more around physical play, while mothers use more verbal expression and teaching activities.

Fathers can also be sensitive and responsive with their infants and young children.

Fathers’ Influences


Benefits of Dad’s Involvement

Children with involved fathers tend to: be more social handle stress easier have higher cognitive

development, IQs longer attention spans be eager to learn

have more self-control be confident in their

individuality and values develop greater

empathy engage in less risky

behavior later in childhood & adolescence


Mentor child to support and encourage exploration, development & desired behaviors; guide & limit.

Monitor child’s contact with surrounding world; protection, safety.

Model behavior to provide a consistent, positive example.

Respond to child in an appropriate manner; communicate.

Prevent risky behavior & problems before they arise.

Effective Parenting


Changes every part of parents’ lives, including their relationship to each other.

Many times, one or both parents have a hard time adjusting to all the changes.

Parents should know that their emotional health has a big impact on their child’s emotional health.

Getting help right away is best to ensure the child’s and parents’ well-being.

Having a Baby…


…to spend positive, engaging, playful time with their parents each day.

This special time allows parents to bond with children, learn what makes them smile or laugh, what kinds of noises they respond to, how they respond, what feelings they convey.

Early & consistent parent-child communication is essential to forming attachments, building better emotional, intellectual, and social development.

Also lets kids learn about their parents’ expressions, body language, voice tone.

Infants & Toddlers Need…


Family reading is related to better reading comprehension and greater school success.

Reading to child improves his/her emergent literacy – the knowledge that words printed in books have meaning, recognizing letters and sounds.

Infants & Toddlers Need…


Infants and toddlers… Pick up on changes in parents’ feelings and behavior. Have little control over their own emotions. Their

feelings are influenced by their parents’ feelings. May act more fussy, difficult to comfort, seem

uninterested when parents are upset. Infants don’t understand things & people they can’t

see still exist; short-term memory. Importance of bonds and attachments. Fears and anxieties especially with unfamiliar people

or surroundings.

Divorce & Other Stressors


Quality, quantity, and type of childcare are modestly linked to the development of children up to age 4 ½.

Children who received higher vs. lower quality child care were: ◦ Better able to think, respond, and interact with world

around them.

◦ Somewhat better reading and math skills.

NICHD, 2006

Influence of Child Care on Development


Children who spent 30 or more hours in child care each week vs. fewer hours: Showed somewhat more problem behavior

in child care & Kindergarten (but not at home.)

Had more episodes of minor illness.NICHD, 2006

Time in Child Care


Children who attended child care centers vs. children in other types of settings: Had somewhat better language and social

skills and better pre-academic skills involving letters and numbers.

Showed somewhat more problem behavior at school-entry.

NICHD, 2006

Type of Child Care


Infant Care Maternal Employment

Children with mothers working full-time in first year scored somewhat lower on cognitive development at age 3 than non-employed mothers.

However, no difference if home environment and mothers’ sensitivity rated highly and child was in above-average quality care.

Brooks-Gunn, Wen-Jui, & Waldfogel, 2002


Quality of child’s attachment to the mother does not predict quality of child’s attachment to the alternative caregiver.

A child with insecure maternal attachment may have a secure attachment relationship with other caregiver.

Positive relationships with infant child caregivers may compensate for insecure maternal attachments.

Howes, Rodning, Galluzzo, & Myers, 1988

Attachment & Child Care


Several features of environment are linked to caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness: Formal training in child development Low adult-child ratio Safe and appropriate environments

Child Care Environment Critical Elements


…are more likely than children in low quality care to: Be securely attached to caregivers. Engage in competent social interaction with adults

and peers. Self-regulate. Have higher language and cognitive scores. More standards child care met, better children do.

Howes et al., 1988; Howes & Stewart, 1987; Howes & Olenick, 1986; NICHD, 2006

Infants & Toddlers in High Quality Child Care


Parent and family features 2-3 times more strongly linked to child development than child care during preschool years.

Children did better when:◦ Parents more educated◦ Family incomes higher◦ Mothers had fewer or no symptoms of depression◦ Mothers more sensitive, responsive, attentive◦ Had well-organized routines◦ Families had books, play materials, took part in learning.

NICHD, 2006

Parent & Family Influences

and Child Care


Combination of child care and family influences best predicts the social development of the infant.

Infants & toddlers in high quality care and cared for by families low in stress, high in social support, and using developmentally appropriate child rearing are more socially competent, better adjusted.

Howes & Olenick, 1986; Howes & Stewart, 1987; Howes, 1988

Child Care + Family Environment


Overall, quality of child care is more critical than quantity of time.

Although links exist between child care features and child development, the quality of interactions between mothers and children more important for child’s development.

Evidence does not suggest that early child care per se is detrimental to child’s future social and emotional development.

Concerns for child who experiences insensitive care both at home and in child care.

Howes, 1991; NICHD, 2006

What Research on Child CareTells Us


Vignettes


Various OCES fact sheets on child care & parenting http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-370\

Just in Time Parenting , Extension age-paced newsletters and other resources http://www.parentinginfo.org

National Network for Child Care, Extension sponsored resources http://www.nncc.org

A Few Extension Resources

http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-370/

http://www.parentinginfo.org/

http://www.nncc.org/


Questions

Discussion

In-service evaluation

Reference/Resource List & Bibliography

Final Wrap-Up


Available separately and upon request.

References

Infant & Toddler Development Part 7: Parenting & Child Care

Documents

Transcript of Infant & Toddler Development Part 7: Parenting & Child Care