Attachment and Parenting: The Mediating Role of Work‐Family Balance in Portuguese Parents of Preschool Children

Given the increasingly challenging task of balancing multiple adult life roles in contemporary society, this study examined the influences of both conflicting and (positively) synergistic work and family roles in mediating associations between the quality of adult attachment and both parental satisfaction and parenting stress. Participants were 242 Portuguese fathers and mothers involved in dual‐earner relationships and in parenting preschool‐aged children. Structural Equations Modeling analyses yielded findings demonstrating that the paths from romantic attachment (avoidance and anxiety) to parenting stress and satisfaction were fully explained by work‐family dimensions, especially the conflict dimension. Implications of these findings for parent education and intervention are discussed.     

Parenting Self‐Efficacy Among Mothers of School‐Age Children: Conceptualization,Measurement, and Correlates*

Relationships among parenting self‐efficacy, general self‐efficacy, child and maternal characteristics, and parenting satisfaction in 145 mothers of school‐aged children were examined. Higher parenting self‐efficacy was observed in mothers of less emotional and more sociable children, and among mothers who were better educated, had higher family incomes, and reported more previous experience with children. Higher parenting self‐efficacy and several mother and child variables predicted greater satisfaction with parenting. Influences of mothers' experience with children other than their own and maternal education on parenting satisfaction were mediated by parenting self‐efficacy. Suggestions concerning the conceptualization and measurement of parenting self‐efficacy are provided.     

The Association Between Overparenting,Parent‐Child Communication,and Entitlement and Adaptive Traits in Adult Children

What is colloquially referred to as “helicopter parenting” is a form of overparenting in which parents apply overly involved and developmentally inappropriate tactics to their children who are otherwise able to assume adult responsibilities and autonomy. Overparenting is hypothesized to be associated with dysfunctional family processes and negative child outcomes. Predictions were tested on 538 parent‐young adult child dyads from locations throughout most of the United States. Parents completed a newly developed measure of overparenting as well as family enmenshment, parenting styles, and parent‐child communication scales. Young adult children completed measures of parent‐child communication, family satisfaction, entitlement, and several adaptive traits. Results showed that overparenting is associated with lower quality parent‐child communication and has an indirect effect on lower family satisfaction. Overparenting was also a significant predictor of young adult child entitlement, although it was not related to any of the adaptive traits measured in young adult children.     

Ethnic‐Racial Socialization and Its Correlates in Families of Black–White Biracial Children

Child, family, and contextual correlates of ethnic‐racial socialization among U.S. families of 293 kindergarten‐age Black–White biracial children were investigated in this study. Children with one White‐identified and one Black‐identified biological parent who were enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort participated in this study. Parents' racial identification of children, parent age, family socioeconomic status, urbanicity, and region of country predicted the likelihood of frequent ethnic‐racial socialization. Relative to their biracially and Black‐identified peers, White‐identified biracial children were less likely to have frequent discussions about ethnic‐racial heritage. Findings suggest that ethnic‐racial socialization is a prevalent parenting practice in families of young biracial children and that its frequency varies depending on child, family, and situational factors. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Out‐of‐school time activity participation profiles of children with physical disabilities: a cluster analysis

Objective To determine out‐of‐school activity participation profiles of school‐aged children with physical disabilities. Methods Activity participation profiles were determined by cluster analysing 427 children's responses on multiple dimensions of participation (intensity, location, companionship, enjoyment, preference) in five activity types (recreational, active physical, social, skill‐based, self‐improvement). Socio‐demographic, child, parent, family and environmental predictors of group membership were determined, along with child functioning, socio‐demographic, self‐concept and social support variables significantly associated with group membership. Results The cluster analysis revealed four groups, labelled Social Participators (a highly social and neighbourhood‐focused group), Broad Participators (a group of high participators who enjoy participation), Low Participators (a group with low enjoyment and weak preferences) and Recreational Participators (a group of younger children who participate in recreational activities with family members). The groups showed meaningful differences across a range of socio‐demographic, child, parent, family and environmental variables. Conclusions The findings support an affective and contextual view of participation, indicating the importance of motivational theory and a person–environment approach in understanding the complexity of children's out‐of‐school activity participation.     

The health of children in sole‐parent families in New Zealand: results of a population‐based cross‐sectional survey

Objective: To investigate whether children in sole‐parent families in New Zealand bear excess risks of poor mental and physical health relative to children in two parent families. Data sources and statistical methods: The data source was the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey, a nationally representative household survey that sampled 502 children (5‐14 years) of sole mothers and 1,281 children of partnered mothers. Results: Children of sole mothers were 1.26 (0.94 – 2.69) times as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PhS score. Adjusting for maternal health and family socio‐economic disadvantage eliminated this weak association (which in any case was of borderline statistical significance). Children of sole mothers were more than twice as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PsS score, adjusting for demographic variables only. Conclusions: There is only a weak negative association (if any) between sole‐parenting and child physical health, but a stronger association with child mental health – consistent with most of the New Zealand and international literature. The association with child mental health is largely (but possibly not completely) ‘explained’ by the poorer mental health of sole‐parents and the poorer socio‐economic circumstances of single‐parent families (on average). Implications: These findings support policies aiming to improve access of sole‐parents and their children to community mental health services, and (more especially) policies aiming to ameliorate the disadvantaged economic circumstances of single parent families.     

Community Engaged Parent Education: Strengthening Civic Engagement Among Parents and Parent Educators

We introduce Community Engaged Parent Education as a model for civic engagement in parent education. In Community Engaged Parent Education, the parent educator weaves the public dimensions of parenting into the everyday practice of group parent education. It is not a curriculum but a community‐collaborative way of teaching all parenting topics by connecting parents' personal concerns to public issues. We describe the origins, principles, and core practices of this approach. Then we present evaluation data demonstrating that parent educators can learn to implement this approach to parent education, and that parents respond with a variety of forms of civic engagement.     

Factors of social adjustment to school: child’s personality,family and pre‐school

The role of child’s characteristics (gender, cognitive ability, mother‐perceived personality traits), family environment (maternal education, self‐reported parenting practices) and pre‐school experience (at least three years vs. no experience) in social adjustment to school, reflected through teacher reports on social competence and internalising and externalising behaviours, was investigated with six‐year‐olds (N = 366). Three blocks of factors, i.e. child, family and pre‐school, explained up to 19% of variance in social adjustment with child’s characteristics accounting for the major part. Family variables contributed significant, though small, portions of variance to social competence and internalising behaviour over and above the child factors. Pre‐school experience was additionally predictive of lower incidence of internalising behaviour and more frequent externalising behaviour.     

Children's nutritional intake as part of the Eat Well Do Well scheme in Kingston‐upon‐Hull – a pilot study

In April 2004 Hull City Council introduced free healthy school meals for all primary and special schools in an attempt to reduce health inequalities. This pilot study aimed to compare nutritional intake between those children consuming a free healthy school meal and those consuming a packed lunch brought from home. The study compared two schools from different socio‐economic areas and considered the impact of lunch on total daily food and nutrient intakes in these children. Fieldwork was undertaken over five consecutive days in each school. Seven hundred and thirty‐five lunches were weighed and photographed before and after consumption to assess actual food intake vs. wastage. One hundred and forty‐seven children aged 8‐to‐11‐years participated from two primary schools. Five‐day food diaries were completed by a small number of participants (n = 20) receiving school meals (n = 10) and packed lunches (n = 10) from the two schools selected. While the lunches provided at the two schools met the majority of the nutritional guidelines for school meals, children ate only a small amount, often leaving the potatoes and vegetables behind; therefore, their intakes were below recommended levels. Children from both schools who opted for packed lunch consumed significantly more energy, fat, sugar and sodium but with this more micronutrients than children who had a free healthy school meal. Statistical differences (P < 0.01) were found between the two schools, with children from the less affluent school consuming less food from the school meal and therefore obtaining a lower nutrient intake from lunch than children from the more affluent school. Findings from a small number of food diaries suggest that the differences in intakes between those having a school meal and those having a packed lunch were compensated for by other food consumed during the day, such that daily nutrient intakes were not significantly different. This study suggests that many children may not be consuming sufficient amounts of the food provided in schools. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that the provision of school meals that conform to the School Food Trust guidelines will be of nutritional benefit to all children concerned. Bearing this in mind, more needs to be done to provide menus that are both healthy and enjoyable for children, so that they will want to consume the foods provided. Parents also need more advice regarding how they can provide their children with a healthy packed lunch, possibly via the introduction of a government‐led packed lunch policy, particularly in schools from areas of lower socio‐economic status. Although there was only a small sample of food diaries in this study, the findings suggest that socio‐economic demographics may exert more of an influence on the total daily nutrient intake of children than the type of lunch consumed.     

Bullying Climate and School Engagement in Ninth‐Grade Students

BACKGROUND: Many authorities agree that bullying has a widespread impact on school climate, affecting bystanders as well as victims. This study tested the contention that a climate of bullying can have a schoolwide impact on student engagement in school. METHODS: Hierarchical linear modeling assessed the relations between student perception of bullying climate and student engagement at the individual and school level in a statewide sample of 7058 ninth graders randomly selected from 289 schools participating in the Virginia High School Safety Study. Student engagement was assessed by self‐report scales measuring commitment to school and involvement in school activities. RESULTS: Individual differences in perception of school climate characterized by bullying were associated with lower commitment to school, but not less involvement in school activities. School‐level differences in student perceptions of bullying climate were associated with both lower commitment to school and less involvement in school activities, after controlling for the effects of gender, race, school size, proportion of ethnic minority students in the school, and individual‐level perception of bullying climate. CONCLUSION: Efforts to improve student engagement should consider the schoolwide impact of bullying on all students.     

Adolescent Reports of Aggression as Predictors of Perceived Parenting Behaviors and Expectations

This study examined the associations between adolescent self‐report of aggression and adolescents' perceptions of parenting practices in a sample of African American early adolescents living in low‐income, urban communities. Sixth graders (N = 209) completed questionnaires about their aggressive behaviors and perceptions of caregivers' parenting practices at two time points during the school year. Path model findings reveal that adolescent‐reported aggression at Time 1 predicted higher levels of perceived parent psychological control and perceived parent expectations for aggressive solutions to conflicts at Time 2. Findings suggest that early adolescent aggression elicits negative parenting behaviors at a subsequent time point.     

Negotiating Relationships in Single‐Mother Households: Perspectives of Children and Mothers

Little research has considered the nature of parent‐child relationships in stable single‐parent households that have not undergone transitions such as divorce and repartnering. This study explored how single mothers and their children negotiated their relationships in a context where the mother has been parenting alone continuously from early in the child's life. Thirty‐eight children and adolescents and their mothers participated in qualitative semistructured interviews. Both mothers and children characterized their relationship as highly intense and exclusive. Perceived limitations in mothers' resources yielded opportunities for shifting dynamics of power and dependence where children adopted an ethic of care in their relationships with their mothers. In response to this, mothers worked to reaffirm clear distinctions between parent and child roles and protect against role boundaries becoming blurred by exercising their authority and managing children's exposure to household responsibilities. These findings provide insight into how mothers and children negotiated interdependence as they moved functionally between vertical and horizontal interactions in their relationship.     

Mother‐Grandmother Conflict,Negative Parenting,and Young Children's Social Development in Multigenerational Families

Mutigenerational households that include grandmothers and adult mothers caring for grandchildren are increasingly common. The influence, however, of mother‐grandmother relationship quality and grandmothers' parenting on grandchildren's social development remains largely unexplored in these three‐generation households. This study examines linkages among caregiver depressive symptoms, mother‐grandmother verbal conflict, observed parenting, and 36‐month‐old grandchildren's problem and prosocial behaviors among a subsample from the Family Life Project (N = 85) consisting of economically disadvantaged multigenerational families. The findings suggest that mother‐grandmother relationship conflict presents a risk to children's behavior directly and indirectly via mothers' negative parenting behaviors. Mothers seem to be more influenced by the mother‐grandmother relationship than grandmothers. These results highlight the importance of including mother‐grandmother conflict in mutigenerational families in family assessments and interventions.     

An Interactive Web‐Based Program for Stepfamilies: Development and Evaluation of Efficacy

This study evaluated the efficacy of a family life education program for stepfamilies that is self‐administered, interactive, and web‐based. The program uses behavior‐modeling videos to demonstrate effective couple, parenting, and stepparenting practices. A diverse sample of 300 parents/stepparents of a child aged 11–15 years were randomized into either treatment or delayed‐access control groups. Findings suggest that participation in the stepfamily education program positively influenced several key areas of parenting and family functioning at postprogram and follow‐up. No gender differences were noted in the findings.     

Strengthening Incarcerated Families: Evaluating a Pilot Program for Children of Incarcerated Parents and Their Caregivers

Parental incarceration can be devastating for families. Children may experience difficulties, and the stress on caregivers who take on unexpected childrearing is high. The authors implemented and evaluated a family‐level intervention with caregivers and children experiencing parental (typically maternal) incarceration in a community setting. The authors partnered with a community‐based organization serving families with an incarcerated parent to conduct a pilot trial of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP). Process evaluation indicated high implementation fidelity, satisfaction, engagement, and attendance. Outcome evaluation results indicated positive changes in family‐level functioning, caregivers' positive parenting, and caregiver depression symptoms from pre‐ to postintervention, with some changes retained at follow‐up 4 months later. Implications for preventive interventions with children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers, are discussed.     

The Characteristics and Well‐Being of Adopted Stepchildren

This study draws upon 22,680 children from the 2002 National Survey of America's Families to investigate the demographic and family characteristics and well‐being of stepchildren who have been adopted by a stepparent (n = 140) relative to children with 2 biological parents, children with 2 adoptive parents, and children with 1 biological parent and 1 nonadoptive stepparent. Five percent of all stepchildren and one quarter of all adopted children have been adopted by a stepparent. How the characteristics of adopted stepchildren compare to those of other children depends on the child's age—whereas younger adopted stepchildren are most similar to children with 2 biological parents, older adopted stepchildren are most similar to nonadopted stepchildren. Adopted stepchildren of all ages have significantly more behavior and emotional problems than children with 2 biological parents, but have similar levels of school engagement. There were no significant differences between children with 2 adoptive parents, nonadopted stepchildren, and adopted stepchildren on any measure of well‐being regardless of the child's age. Implications for practice and policy include increasing awareness of adopted stepchildren and paying greater attention to the legal context under which stepchildren are adopted.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cool Little Kids</Emphasis> randomised controlled trial: Population-level early prevention for anxiety disorders

Background  

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030 internalising problems (e.g. depression and anxiety) will be second only to HIV/AIDS in international burden of disease. Internalising problems affect 1 in 7 school aged children, impacting on peer relations, school engagement, and later mental health, relationships and employment. The development of early childhood prevention for internalising problems is in its infancy. The current study follows two successful 'efficacy' trials of a parenting group intervention to reduce internalising disorders in temperamentally inhibited preschool children. Cool Little Kids is a population-level randomised trial to determine the impacts of systematically screening preschoolers for inhibition then offering a parenting group intervention, on child internalising problems and economic costs at school entry.     

Family Advocates’ Perspectives on the Early Academic Success of Children Born to Low‐Income Adolescent Mothers*

Qualitative analyses were conducted to examine family factors related to individual differences in the early school success of children born to low‐income adolescent mothers from the perspective of paraprofessional family advocates. These families were participants in a 5‐year family support program. Achievement test scores and teacher ratings were used to identify the most successful and least successful students in first grade. Interviews with the advocates about the life experiences of children in each of these groups revealed differences between them in the areas of caregiving practices, maternal characteristics, child characteristics, and contextual sources of stress and support. Given that family service providers are rarely used as informants in this way, the possible strengths and limitations of this approach are discussed.     

Cooking Communities: using multicultural after‐school cooking clubs to enhance community cohesion

There is concern over the lack of cooking skills among young people in the UK. Studies suggest that teaching young people cooking skills can help to improve dietary quality. In light of this evidence, in 2009 Cooking Communities piloted a series of multicultural after‐school cooking clubs at secondary schools in Leeds, UK. These clubs aimed to develop young people's food preparation and cooking skills as well as to enhance their understanding of different cultures. Ten 1.5 h cooking clubs were delivered over a 10‐week period. Each session concentrated on a recipe linked to a different cultural event, such as bread for harvest festival and honey cake to celebrate Jewish Rosh Hashanah. Pupils completed questionnaires both before and after attending the cooking clubs to assess their cooking abilities and multicultural understanding. These clubs lead to significant improvements in skills such as meal preparation and pupils' ability to cook healthy foods/meals. Pupils' cultural awareness increased significantly after participation in the cooking clubs. Multicultural after‐school cooking clubs are an ideal way for young people to enhance not only their cooking skills but also citizenship skills and an understanding of different cultures. This model of multicultural after‐school cooking clubs could be adopted by other schools and youth settings in the future to help to promote cooking skills, healthy eating, and respect across different cultural groups.     

Improving elementary school quality through the use of a social-emotional and character development program: a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled trial in Hawai'i

BACKGROUND: School safety and quality affect student learning and success. This study examined the effects of a comprehensive elementary school‐wide social‐emotional and character education program, Positive Action, on teacher, parent, and student perceptions of school safety and quality utilizing a matched‐pair, cluster‐randomized, controlled design. The Positive Action Hawai'i trial included 20 racially/ethnically diverse schools and was conducted from 2002‐2003 through 2005‐2006. METHODS: School‐level archival data, collected by the Hawai'i Department of Education, were used to examine program effects at 1‐year post‐trial. Teacher, parent, and student data were analyzed to examine indicators of school quality such as student safety and well‐being, involvement, and satisfaction, as well as overall school quality. Matched‐paired t‐tests were used for the primary analysis, and sensitivity analyses included permutation tests and random‐intercept growth curve models. RESULTS: Analyses comparing change from baseline to 1‐year post‐trial revealed that intervention schools demonstrated significantly improved school quality compared to control schools, with 21%, 13%, and 16% better overall school quality scores as reported by teachers, parents, and students, respectively. Teacher, parent, and student reports on individual school‐quality indicators showed improvement in student safety and well‐being, involvement, satisfaction, quality student support, focused and sustained action, standards‐based learning, professionalism and system capacity, and coordinated team work. Teacher reports also showed an improvement in the responsiveness of the system. CONCLUSIONS: School quality was substantially improved, providing evidence that a school‐wide social‐emotional and character education program can enhance school quality and facilitate whole‐school change.