Parent–child role reversal in ICT domestication: media brokering activities and emotional labours of Chinese “study mothers” in Singapore

ABSTRACT

The adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the domestic sphere has the potential to challenge the existing power hierarchy and relational structure of the household. In particular, new dynamics of parent–child relationship may emerge due to different accessibility to, experiences of, as well as values about ICTs between adolescents and their parents. Becoming proficient with a variety of ICTs since an early age, adolescent children in many contemporary families serve as technological experts on whom their parents rely to access and survive the digital world. This “role reversal” between parents and children indicates the detraditionalization of parental authority and parent–child interactions, which could strengthen family cohesion in some households, while triggering tensions and conflicts in others. Drawing on technology domestication theory and theory of emotion work, this article proposes an in-depth investigation into the multi-dimensional technological role-reversal activities of Chinese “study mothers” and their children, with special focus on subjective attitudes and invisible emotional labours of both mothers and children. An innovative “content-context diary” cum participant observation was employed to obtain a comprehensive and profound understanding of parent–child interactions in the process of household ICT domestication.     

Parent scaffolding of young children’s use of touch screen tablets

ABSTRACT

Parents play a key role in supporting young children’s interactions with tablets (e.g. iPads). Little is known about the types of scaffolding parents provide during tablet activities and how these relate to child age, SES, and home use. Fifty-five parent–child dyads (M child age?=?3.49 years) were videoed as they played on an iPad. All parent utterances were coded into three types of scaffolding behaviours (cognitive, affective, technical scaffolding; CATs). Home tablet use and family demographics were reported via a parent questionnaire. Parents used CATs strategies to support their children’s learning. Parents most frequently used cognitive scaffolding and least frequently technical scaffolding. SES was not related to the number of tablets at home. The negative association found between technical scaffolding and child age suggests that younger children require more scaffolding by parents. Coaching parents in using scaffolding strategies during joint-tablet activities has the potential to support early learning.     

Child coping,parent coping assistance,and post‐traumatic stress following paediatric physical injury

Background Following a physical injury, many children exhibit long‐term psychological reactions such as post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Children's coping strategies, and the ways that others help them cope with injury (i.e. coping assistance), are understudied, potentially malleable variables that could be targeted in preventive interventions. The objectives of the current research were to describe child coping behaviour and parent coping assistance following a child's injury, and to investigate the relationships among coping, coping assistance and child PTSS. Method Participants included 82 children with injuries and one parent of each child. Children completed measures of coping and coping assistance 2 weeks after their injury (T1). Children also completed measures of coping and PTSS at a 3‐month follow‐up (T2). Parents reported on the coping assistance they provided to their child at T1. Results Children reported using an average of six coping strategies (out of 10) with wishful thinking, social support, distraction, and cognitive restructuring endorsed most frequently. Child‐reported social withdrawal and resignation 2 weeks after his or her injury (T1) were related to subsequent PTSS (T2). Social withdrawal at T2 was related to concurrent child PTSS (T2). Children were more likely to seek social support when their parents reported helping their child cope. No relationships were identified between active coping behaviours or parent coping assistance and PTSS outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that children's coping strategies (particularly social withdrawal and resignation) play a possibly important, complex role in the development of traumatic stress symptoms. When parents help their child cope, children are more likely to seek out social support, suggesting that they will be more able to ask their parents for help as needed. Future research should identify effective strategies to prevent PTSS including how parents can best support their child following paediatric injury.     

Ethnic Harassment and the Protective Effect of Positive Parenting on Immigrant Youths’ Antisocial Behavior

Background

The existing literature suggests that positive parenting might serve as a protective factor against immigrant adolescents’ engagement in externalizing difficulties when they are exposed to negative experiences of ethnic derogation. To date, little is known, however, about whether different dimensions of positive parenting may moderate the detrimental impact of ethnic harassment at school on immigrant youth’s antisocial behavior.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate which specific dimensions of positive parenting may act as a buffer against the detrimental impact of ethnic harassment at school on immigrant adolescents’ antisocial behavior (i.e., delinquency and violence).

Method

Using longitudinal data, we followed first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents (N?=?365; Mage?=?13.93, SD?=?.80; 46% girls; 37% first-generation) in Sweden over a period of one year. Data collection at Time 1 (T1) was completed in the spring semester of the school year, and Time 2 (T2) assessments took place a year after the first data collection. We ran a series of regressions analyses via the SPSS PROCESS macro for each dimension of positive parenting behavior and each type of antisocial behavior.

Results

We found that ethnically harassed immigrant adolescents who received parental warmth, perceived their influence on family decisions and whose parents were aware of their children’s daily activities were less likely to engage in delinquency and violence one year later. In addition, we saw that immigrant youth whose parents actively sought information about their offsprings’ lives were less prone to display violence in the face of ethnic harassment.

Conclusions

The results suggest that parents are important in overriding the noxious effects of negative peer interactions targeting their children’s ethnic background, even during an adolescence marked by significant changes in child–parent and child–peer relationships. These findings might inform the development of intervention components for testing in interventions studies aimed at preventing immigrant youths’ antisocial behavior and future involvement in violent criminal offences.

     

Parental Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Due to Childhood Cancer and Child Outcomes: Investigation of the Role of Child Anger Regulation

This article examines whether children's anger regulation mediates the relation of cancer-related parental posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) to the psychological adjustment of children with cancer. Children with cancer, and their parents (N = 199; 52.3% boys), completed measures of parental PTSS, child anger regulation, and child adjustment. Parental cancer-related PTSS was significantly associated with child adjustment and anger regulation. Children's anger regulation mediated the relation between parental PTSS and child behavioral and emotional difficulties. This suggests anger regulation as a possible target for intervention.     

Creating Potential for Common Ground and Communication Between Early Childhood Program Staff and Parents About Young Children’s Eating

ObjectivesTo explore child care staff and parent perspectives and communications about children’s eating in child care.DesignFocus groups (FGs) conducted with child care staff and parents.SettingFour Western states in the United States.ParticipantsThirty-nine child care staff in 7 FGs and 25 parents in 6 FGs.Phenomenon of InterestThoughts and concerns about children’s eating and opportunities to improve communication between staff and parents.AnalysisContent analysis (FG coding inter-rater reliability: staff = 0.74; parents = 0.81) and identification of meta-themes.ResultsThree meta-themes were identified: (1) recognition of positive influences of the child care setting in children’s development of healthy eating; (2) concerns about children’s eating in child care and at home; and (3) strategies to improve communications and transactions related to children’s eating.Conclusions and ImplicationsStaff reported that their roles included informing parents about food at mealtimes in child care (eg, menus, recipes) but also educating parents about child nutrition and feeding. Parents valued daily information about their child’s eating to adjust home mealtimes and to feel connected to their child. Barriers to effective communication included limited time and concerns regarding parent reactions and defensiveness. Staff requested training about child nutrition and feeding and about sensitive communications with parents.     

Parent–child interaction therapy and ethnic minority children

Abstract

Disruptive behaviours constitute the most frequent reason for referral of young children to mental health services. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a theoretically grounded, assessment-driven, empirically supported treatment for children with disruptive behaviour disorders. PCIT is based on Baumrind's research demonstrating positive outcomes for children of parents with an authoritative parenting style. The child-directed interaction phase of PCIT focuses on strengthening the parent–child bond and increasing positive parenting. The parent-directed interaction phase focuses on increasing parental consistency, predictability and fairness in discipline. This article presents an overview of PCIT and highlights PCIT research with ethnic minority children.     

Parenting Advice School-Age Kids Offer to Parents to Promote Healthier Child Weight-Related Behaviors

ObjectiveTo explore parenting advice children would provide to help parents encourage positive health-related behaviors by children.DesignFocus group discussions were conducted, and children shared the advice they would provide parents to help them encourage healthy weight-related behaviors (ie, diet, physical activity, and sleep) for children.SettingFocus groups (n = 65) were conducted in 3 states (Florida, New Jersey, and West Virginia).ParticipantsSchool-age children (n = 194) between the ages of 6 and 11 years old.Phenomenon of InterestWhat parenting practices are recommended by children, and are they in line with best-practice guidelines?AnalysisFocus group data were analyzed to identify themes and trends.ResultsChildren's recommendations were congruent with authoritative parenting styles (ie, high levels of warmth and control). Most of the advice shared by children aligned with recommended parent practices (ie, responsive feeding, facilitation, environmental restructuring, parent modeling, and encouragement). However, not all of the children's advice aligned with best practices guidelines (ie, use of food rewards and deception).Conclusions And ImplicationsFuture nutrition education programs may be strengthened by helping parents adopt best practices for promoting healthy child behaviors. Furthermore, teaching children about recommended child feeding parenting practices may help protect future generations by preparing children to care for younger siblings or raise their children using best parenting practices.     

Maternal scaffolding strategies and early development of self-regulation in Chinese preschoolers

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between aspects of maternal scaffolding and Chinese preschoolers’ self-regulation. Thirty-three children aged 3–5 (12 boys and 21 girls) and their mothers from one kindergarten in Nanning, China, participated in 2 dyadic problem-solving tasks. The children’s self-regulation was assessed using the tapping task either before or after a dyadic problem-solving session on the same day. All mother–child joint problem-solving sessions were videotaped and transcribed. Maternal scaffolding was coded in terms of cognitive assistance (elaborative/directive), emotional feedback (positive/negative), and transfer of responsibility (adult’s/child’s responsibility) in interaction turns. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that maternal elaborative cognitive assistance and positive feedback positively predicted children’s self-regulation, while neither the adult’s nor the child’s bearing of responsibility in interaction turns significantly predicted children’s self-regulation. Reasons for these results and implications for further studies and practitioners are discussed.     

Associations Between Maternal Experiences of Discrimination and Biomarkers of Toxic Stress in School-Aged Children

Objective

To examine associations between maternal experiences of discrimination and child biomarkers of toxic stress in a multiethnic, urban sample of mothers and children (4–9 years).

Methods

Data were drawn from a cross-sectional study of maternal–child dyads (N?=?54) living in low-income neighborhoods in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Mothers reported experiences of discrimination. Noninvasive biomarkers of toxic stress were collected to assess neuroendocrine (hair cortisol), immune (salivary cytokines, c-reactive protein), and cardiovascular (blood pressure) functioning in children.

Results

Maternal experiences of discrimination were associated with increased log-transformed salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in children (β?=?0.15, p?=?0.02).

Conclusions

Vicarious racism, or indirect exposure to discrimination experienced by caregivers, is associated with poor health outcomes for children. Immune pathways may be a biological mechanism through which racial discrimination “gets under the skin,” but additional research is needed to fully understand these relationships. Uncovering the physiological mechanisms linking vicarious racism with child health is an important step towards understanding possible early roots of racial and ethnic health inequities.

     

Post-traumatic stress symptoms in childhood brain tumour survivors and their parents

Objectives This study aimed to investigate post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in childhood brain tumour survivors and their parents. A further aim was to explore the relationship between objective illness parameters, parent–child interactions, coping styles and PTSS. Methods A cross‐sectional correlational design was employed. Fifty‐two childhood brain tumour survivors, aged 8–16, and 52 parents completed a battery of questionnaires designed to assess quality of parent–child interactions, monitoring and blunting attentional coping styles and PTSS. Results Over one‐third (35%) of survivors and 29% of their parents reported severe levels of PTSS (suggestive of post‐traumatic stress disorder ‘caseness’). Increased parent–child conflict resolution for survivors and number of tumour recurrences for parents independently predicted the variance in PTSS. Conclusions For a substantial proportion of brain tumour survivors and their parents the process of survivorship is a considerably distressing experience.     

Preferred Child Body Size and Parental Underestimation of Child Weight in Mexican-American Families

Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child’s weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods Participants were Mexican-American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8–10) who were interviewed and had height and weight measurements. Parents reported their preferred child body size and their perceptions of their child’s weight. Parents’ underestimation of their child’s weight was calculated as the standardized difference between parent’s perception of their child’s weight and the child’s body mass index (BMI) z-score. Demographic factors and parental BMI were also assessed. Results Although 50 % of children were overweight or obese, only 11 % of mothers and 10 % of fathers perceived their children as being somewhat or very overweight. Multiple regressions controlling for covariates (parental BMI and child age) showed that parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their children’s weight more, compared to those who preferred a leaner child (β for mothers = .13, p < .03; β for fathers = .17, p < .03). Conclusions for Practice Parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their child’s weight to a greater degree than parents who preferred a leaner child. Attempts by pediatricians to correct parents’ misperceptions about child weight may damage rapport and ultimately fail if the misperception is actually a reflection of parents’ preferences, which may not be readily amenable to change. Future research should address optimal methods of communication about child overweight which take into account parent preferences.     

Parental Influences on Dairy Intake in Children,and Their Role in Child Calcium-fortified Food Use

ObjectiveTo understand how parental influences on dairy food intake relate to early adolescent children's use of calcium-fortified food.DesignContent analysis of qualitative interviews to identify parental influences on dairy intake; calcium-fortified food survey to identify children as either calcium-fortified food users or nonusers.Setting and ParticipantsA convenience sample of Asian (n = 56), Hispanic (n = 61), and white (n = 74) parents of children 10-13 years old, including boys (n = 86) and girls (n = 105).Variables Measured and AnalysisCluster analysis to identify groups with similar coded parental influences and chi-square analysis to determine associations between these groups and calcium-fortified food use.ResultsTwo dominant patterns of parental influences: Cluster 1 (n = 128), with positive parental influences related to availability of dairy, milk, and cheese; positive health beliefs for dairy, and child preferences for dairy and cheese, included parents whose children were more likely to use calcium-fortified food. Cluster 2 (n = 63), with positive influences for availability of dairy and milk, included parents whose children were equally likely to be either users or nonusers of calcium-fortified food (P < .05).ConclusionStrategies to improve parental influence on children's dairy intake might also encourage calcium-fortified food intake and improve calcium nutriture.     

Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study of Factors Associated with the Healthfulness of Parental Responses to Child Food Purchasing Requests

Objective The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between various factors (e.g., sociodemographic, child, and parental factors) and the healthfulness of parental responses to child in-store food purchasing requests. Additionally, a secondary objective is to describe “resist strategies” used by parents to respond to child food-purchasing requests and their efficacy in avoiding conflict. Methods Parent–child dyads (children aged 2–6 years) completed an audio-/visual-recoded food shopping trip at their usual grocery store and time. Recordings of trips were coded for behavioral and environmental factors. Parental healthful response rate (i.e., percent of responses that were healthful) was the primary outcome variable. A healthful response occurred when a parent yielded to a healthful child request, or resisted a non-healthful request. Parents also completed a questionnaire. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to assess the relationship between the main outcome variable and sociodemographic, child, and parent factors. Results Parents (n = 39) responded healthfully to 62.9 % (±26.7 %) of child food purchasing requests. Low- and middle-income parents, and black and white parents, had significantly higher healthful response rates compared to high-income parents (p = 0.03) and Hispanic/Indian-descent parents (p = 0.02), respectively. Using the “ignore” strategy proved an effective resist strategy in this study, leading to no parent–child conflicts. Conclusions Programming that seeks to improve the healthfulness of food purchasing in families with young children should address unhealthful response behaviors in Hispanic/Indian-descent parents and high-income parents; although, the needs of these groups are different. Further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings.     

Maternal caffeine intake in pregnancy is inversely related to childhood peer problems in Japan: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Objectives: The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged 5 years.

Methods: Subjects were 1199 mother–child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, and peer problems were assessed using the Japanese parent-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustment was made for maternal age, gestation at baseline, region of residence at baseline, number of children at baseline, maternal and paternal education, household income, maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy, maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, child’s birth weight, child’s sex, breastfeeding duration, and smoking in the household during the first year of life.

Results: The contributors of caffeine in the diet during pregnancy were Japanese and Chinese tea (74.8%), coffee (13.0%), black tea (4.4%), confectionaries (4.0%), and soft drinks (3.7%). Higher maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy was independently associated with a reduced risk of peer problems in the children: the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy were 1 (reference), 0.61 (0.35–1.06), 0.52 (0.29–0.91), and 0.51 (0.28–0.91), respectively (P for trend?=?0.01). Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy was not evidently related to the risk of emotional problems, conduct problems, or hyperactivity problems in the children.

Conclusions: Maternal caffeine consumption, mainly from Japanese and Chinese tea, during pregnancy may be preventive against peer problems in Japanese children.     

HPV vaccination prevalence,parental barriers and motivators to vaccinating children in Hawai‘i

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the prevalence and barriers to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among 11–18 year olds in the Hawai‘i’s four major ethnic groups–Native Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Caucasians.

Study design: A telephone survey assessed parents’ knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine, status of their child’s HPV vaccine uptake, variables operationalizing the Health Belief Model, and barriers and motivators to uptake.

Results: Across the groups, 799 parents completed the survey. About 35% of daughters and 19% of sons had received all three shots. Although ethnic differences in vaccine uptake were seen in bivariate analysis (with significantly lower uptake in Filipino youth), in multivariable logistic regression analysis, only Caucasian parents were significantly less likely to start their sons on the HPV vaccine series compared with Japanese parents (reference group). Having heard about the vaccine, believing in its effectiveness, and older age of the child were also associated with vaccine uptake. Motivators for HPV vaccination were physician’s recommendation and wanting to protect one’s child. The primary barrier to uptake was lack of knowledge about the vaccine.

Conclusions: Findings reinforce the fact that a physician’s recommendation and receipt of information about the vaccine are strong motivators for parents to vaccinate their children, regardless of ethnicity.     

Accelerating Early Language and Literacy Skills Through a Preschool-Home Partnership Using Dialogic Reading: a Randomized Trial

Background

This study tested a preschool-home partnership intervention, in which early childhood teachers encouraged the parents/caregivers of preschoolers to engage in dialogic reading at home. This was an experimental test of Bronfenbrenner’s hypothesis that parental involvement in early care and education programs should promote child development, as well as a test of a train-the-trainer approach to the dialogic reading intervention.

Objective

The current study focuses on testing the causality of parent involvement: (1) homework assigned to parents/caregivers will improve the early language and literacy skills of their 2?~?3-year-old children; (2) gains by children in the intervention group with low pre-test language and literacy score, low family literacy score, and high parents/caregivers’ extent of using dialogic reading strategies at home will show larger gains in literacy scores than their counterparts.

Methods

A sample of 12 early care and education programs, 18 early childhood teachers, 87 two–to three-year-old children and their parents/caregivers were followed for 18?~?20 weeks after assignment to the intervention group or the control group.

Results

The impacts of the six-week parent involvement intervention continued to grow during the six-week follow-up phase, and represented substantial gains of the intervention group in four aspects of early language and literacy skills.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that a simple homework assignment intervention can be an effective tool to promote child development when parents/caregivers are engaged. The intervention also had ongoing influence on children’s early language and literacy skills, even after the intervention period had ended.