 |
|
Warm, nurturing parents have well-adjusted adolescents
September 14, 2005Although preadolescents and adolescents might think their parents hold no sway over them, a study published in the September/October issue of the journal Child Development finds just the opposite - early parenting style makes a big difference in how a child turns out.
Researchers from Arizona State University in Tempe evaluated 186 adolescents three times over a six-year period, once every two years from the time the children were about 9 to about age 13. They used parent and teacher reports to evaluate how well adjusted the children were in terms of aggression, antisocial and delinquent behavior, and how well the children were able to "self-regulate," i.e., inhibit their behavior when necessary and control their emotions and behavior.
The researchers assessed the children's self-regulation by measuring their persistence in completing a frustrating task (rather than cheating or giving up), along with reports from parents and teachers. Additionally, they observed the parents' (mostly mothers') warmth and positive emotions as they interacted with their child during each of the three assessments.
The researchers found that parenting, youths' self-regulation, and youths' adjustment were generally related to each other within and across time. Additionally, they found evidence that parents who interacted warmly and positively with their children at the youngest age (the first assessment) had children who were relatively self-regulated two years later, and, in turn, exhibited fewer problem behaviors at the final assessment.
"Our results are consistent with the view that parenting affects children's self-regulation and their overall adjustment," said study author Nancy Eisenberg, Ph.D., Regents' professor of psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe.
"Thus, the quality of parent-child interactions in childhood seems to foreshadow whether young adolescents experience behavioral problems in adolescence, and this relation appears to be at least partly due to the fact that warm, positive parents have children who are well regulated," she said.
"Because warm parenting seems to foster children's self-regulation, it is likely to contribute to youths' positive functioning in a variety of areas."
Society for Research in Child Development
The researchers found that parenting, youths' self-regulation, and youths' adjustment were generally related to each other within and across time. Additionally, they found evidence that parents who interacted warmly and positively with their children at the youngest age (the first assessment) had children who were relatively self-regulated two years later, and, in turn, exhibited fewer problem behaviors at the final assessment.
"Our results are consistent with the view that parenting affects children's self-regulation and their overall adjustment," said study author Nancy Eisenberg, Ph.D., Regents' professor of psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe.
"Thus, the quality of parent-child interactions in childhood seems to foreshadow whether young adolescents experience behavioral problems in adolescence, and this relation appears to be at least partly due to the fact that warm, positive parents have children who are well regulated," she said.
"Because warm parenting seems to foster children's self-regulation, it is likely to contribute to youths' positive functioning in a variety of areas."
Society for Research in Child Development
Parenting Current Events and Parenting News RSSNewborns exposed to maternal smoking more irritable, difficult to soothe
Previous studies have shown that babies exposed to tobacco in utero are more likely to have a low birth weight and are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome.
Smoking, teens and their parents: New research
A new study found that adolescents were at the greatest risk of smoking when their parents began smoking at an early age and the parents' smoking quickly reached high levels and persisted over time.
Methamphetamine abuse linked to underage sex, smoking and drinking
Teens who have never done drugs, but engage in other risky behaviours such as drinking, smoking and being sexually active, are more likely to use crystal meth, medical researchers at the University of Alberta have concluded.
Hormones and brain activity: Kinsey Institute study sheds light on facial preferences
Scientists have long known that women's preferences for masculine men change throughout their menstrual cycles. A new study from Indiana University's Kinsey Institute is the first to demonstrate differences in brain activity as women considered masculinized and feminized male faces and whether the person was a potential sexual partner.
Research shows why parents are born and not made
Research published reveals for the first time that the different roles of mothers and fathers are influenced by genetics. The study, by the Universities of Exeter and Edinburgh, shows how variation in where males and females put their parenting effort reflects different genetic influences for each sex.
Nutrition advice best served with family in mind
Researchers at the University of Sheffield and Royal Holloway, University of London will argue today (21 October 2008) that the nation's diet is unlikely to improve significantly if healthy eating policies fail to take into account the diverse nature of contemporary family life.
New research on family-based HIV prevention presented at annual NIH conference
Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center (BHCRC) presented exciting new research today at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Annual International Research Conference on the Role of Families in Preventing and Adapting to HIV/AIDS.
UNC study: Parenting can override effect of genes in how babies respond to stress
Everyone gets stressed, even babies. Now, it appears how infants respond to stress is linked to if they have a particular form of a certain gene, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Is that song sexy or just so-so?
Why is your mate's rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" cute and sexy sometimes and so annoying at other times? A songbird study conducted by Emory University sheds new light on this question, showing that a change in hormone levels may alter the way we perceive social cues by altering a system of brain nuclei, common to all vertebrates, called the "social behavior network."
Early parenting plays key role in infants' physiological response to stress
In infancy, genes are the key influence on a child's ability to deal with stress. But as early as 6 months of age, parenting plays an important role in changing the impact of genes that may put infants at risk for responding poorly to stress.
More Parenting Current Events and Parenting News Articles
 | Parenting With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition) by Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay Parenting with Love and Logic shows you how to parent effectively without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles while teaching your children... |
 | Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel, Mary Hartzell How many parents have found themselves thinking: I can't believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I just destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents? In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences actually do shape the way we... |
 | Screamfree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool by Hal Edward Runkel You Can Start a Revolution in Your Family . . . TonightScreamFree Parenting is not just about lowering your voice. It’s about learning to calm your emotional reactions and learning to focus on your own behavior more than your kids’ behavior . . . for their benefit. Our biggest enemy as parents is not the TV, the Internet, or even drugs. Our biggest enemy is our own emotional reactivity. When... |
 | Parenting Teens With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition) by Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay Learn how to parent your teens without nagging or yelling while preparing them for a responsible... |
 | Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen Have you ever stepped back to watch what really goes on when your children play? As psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen points out, play is children’s way of exploring the world, communicating deep feelings, getting close to those they care about, working through stressful situations, and simply blowing off steam. That’s why “playful parenting” is so important and so successful in building... |
 | Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel Parents in our post-modern world tend to be committed to but anxious about their child-rearing responsibilities. They've tried the countless parenting books on the market, but many of these are strident, fear-based books that loving parents instinctively reject, while still searching for direction. Now Dr. Tim Kimmel, founder of Family Matters ministries, offers a refreshing new look at... |
 | Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason by Alfie Kohn Most parenting guides begin with the question "How can we get kids to do what they're told?" and then proceed to offer various techniques for controlling them. In this truly groundbreaking book, nationally respected educator Alfie Kohn begins instead by asking, "What do kids need -- and how can we meet those needs?" What follows from that question are ideas for working with children rather than... |
 | Parenting the Strong-Willed Child: The Clinically Proven Five-Week Program for Parents of Two- to Six-Year-Olds [Revised and Updated Edition] by Rex Forehand, Nicholas Long The bestselling five-week program to improving the disruptive child's behavior--now updated and revised Based on more than 40 years of collective research, parents and longtime child behavior experts Dr. Rex Forehand and Dr. Nicholas Long have devised a program to help you find positive and manageable solutions to your child's difficult behavior. Now in a revised and updated edition, Parenting... |
 | Parenting by the Book: Biblical Wisdom for Raising Your Child by John Rosemond Picture respectful, responsible, obedient children who entertain themselves without television or video games, do their own homework, and have impeccable manners. A pie-in-the-sky fantasy? Not so, says family psychologist and bestselling author John Rosemond. Any parent who so desires can grow children who fit that description -- happy, emotionally healthy children who honor their parents and... |
 | The Attachment Parenting Book : A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby by William Sears, Martha Sears Is it OK to sleep with your newborn baby? How old is too old for breastfeeding? These questions and more are answered in this latest addition to the Sears Parenting Library. Attachment Parenting encourages early, strong, and sustained attention to the new baby's needs and this book outlines the steps that will create the most lasting bonds between parents and their children. Practical and ... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |