BUKU | SAIDNA ZULFIQAR BIN TAHIR (VIKAR)

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Based On A Sur v ey Am ong

Par ent s Of Children Ages Bir t h To Thr ee Year s Old

Conduct ed On Behalf Of:

ZERO TO TH REE

By H a r t Re se a r ch Associa t e s

Novem ber 2009

Made possible by a gener ous gr ant fr om

H a r t Re se a r ch Associa t e s 1 7 2 4 Con n e ct icu t Ave n u e , N W

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Re se a r ch M e t h odology An d Ov e r v ie w Of Sa m ple ... 2

Ex e cu t iv e Su m m a r y ... 4

Ke y Fin din gs: An I n - D e pt h Look ... 7

I . Ch ildr e a r in g Ch a lle n ge s Th a t Pa r e n t s Con fr on t Toda y ... 7

Safet y t ops t he list of ov er all concer ns ... 7

Challenging behav ior s t hat par ent s confr ont ... 7

Finding a balance is no sm all feat ... 8

Many par ent s need m or e suppor t ... 9

Child car e ar r angem ent s ... 9

I m pact of t he econom ic dow nt ur n on child car e ar r angem ent s ... 10

I I . Pe ople An d Sou r ce s Pa r e n t s Re ly On For Pa r e n t in g I n for m a t ion ... 12

Who par ent s t ur n t o for day - t o- day input on par ent ing ... 12

Sour ces par ent s t ur n t o for par ent ing infor m at ion ... 13

I I I . I n flu e n ce s On Pa r e n t in g ... 15

How a per son w as r aised has a pow er ful influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing ... 15

Fait h and r eligion ar e pow er ful influences on par ent ing ... 16

The influence of pr ofessionals on par ent ing ... 16

Ot her influences on par ent ing ... 16

I V . Pa r e n t s’ Pe r ce pt ion s Of Ex p e r ie n ce s Th a t I n flu e n ce Socia l, Em ot ion a l, An d Cogn it iv e Ch ild D e v e lopm e n t ... 17

V . Pa r e n t s’ Ex pe ct a t ion s For Re a ch in g D e v e lopm e n t a l M ile st on e s ... 22

Look ing t o t he fut ur e: school r eadiness ... 26

V I . Th r e e V ign e t t e s: Pa r e n t s’ I n t e r pr e t a t ion s Of Ch ild’s Be h a v ior An d H ow Th e y W ou ld Re a ct ... 28

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Re se a r ch M e t h odology An d Ov e r v ie w Of Sa m ple

Par ent ing I nfant s and Toddler s Today is a public opinion poll of par ent s of

childr en ages bir t h t o 36 m ont hs conduct ed for ZERO TO THREE by Har t Resear ch Associat es and funded by Met Life Foundat ion. Fr om June 4 t o 11, 2009, Har t Resear ch conduct ed 1,615 int er view s am ong par ent s of infant s and t oddler s. The full sam ple includes ov er sam ples of 201 Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s and 204 Hispanic par ent s. The Afr ican- Am er ican and Hispanic over sam ples w er e w eight ed t o t heir pr oper pr opor t ions of t he over all populat ion. The Hispanic int er view s w er e conduct ed by a bilingual phone bank in or der t o ensur e t hat t he sam ple included Spanish- speaking par ent s and guar dians. Based on U.S. Census dat a, t he sam ple is r epr esent at iv e of par ent s of childr en ages bir t h t o t hr ee y ear s old, as it per t ains t o basic dem ogr aphic char act er ist ics such as r ace, et hnicit y , age, and educat ional at t ainm ent .

Har t Resear ch Associat es used a m ixed m et hodology, em ploying bot h t elephone ( 604 phone int er view s) and I nt er net sur vey t echnologies ( 606 online int er view s) . Because about one in t hr ee 18- t o 29- year - olds ( t he pr im e t ar get ages for t his st udy) now live in households w it h no w ir ed phone, t he I nt er net sur vey com ponent w as added t o ensur e t hese par ent s w ould be included. The phone and online sam ple w er e dr aw n fr om panels of households t hat have childr en ages bir t h t o 36 m ont hs. The phone panel is com piled fr om a num ber of dir ect r esponse sour ces, including subscr ipt ions, sur veys, consum er r esponse car ds, I nt er net sit es, and point - of- sale t r ansact ion dat a. The online panel is com piled using a double opt - in r ecr uit ing pr ocess. Dat a fr om bot h panels ar e r egular ly v er ified for accur acy .

Each r espondent w as asked t o answ er t he sur vey quest ions by r efer r ing t o a specific child age bir t h t o 36 m ont hs. Par ent s w ho have m or e t han one child in t his age r ange w er e asked t o focus on one of t hose childr en, w ho w as select ed r andom ly by t he par ent . The sam ple consist s of 15% of par ent s of childr en age eight m ont hs or younger , 28% of par ent s of childr en ages nine m ont hs t o 18 m ont hs, and 57% of par ent s of children ages 19 m ont hs t o 36 m ont hs.

The quest ionnair e w as designed for an int er view t hat w ould r equir e appr oxim at ely 20 m inut es w hen adm inist er ed by phone; t he online quest ionnair e w as ident ical t o t he phone ver sion so t he dat a collect ed via t he t w o m et hodologies w er e easily m er ged t oget her .

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Sa m ple Ov e r v ie w

W h it e Pa r e n t s

Afr ica n - Am e r ica n Pa r e n t s

H ispa n ic Pa r e n t s

Fat hers 37 23 28

Mot hers 63 77 72

Age: 18 t o 24 12 23 17

Age: 25 t o 29 26 30 29

Age: 30 t o 34 26 20 25

Age: 35 t o 39 21 16 18

Age: 40 and over 15 11 11

High school or less 36 47 55

Vocat ional/ som e college 31 33 29

Four - year college degr ee/ m or e 33 20 16 Mar r ied/ liv e w it h par t ner 89 62 78

Separat ed or divorced 7 11 12

Single 4 27 9

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The sur vey w as designed t o m eet sever al obj ect ives, all w it h t he int ent ion of infor m ing t he w or k of ZERO TO THREE:

Explor e t he issues and challenges t hat par ent s of childr en ages bir t h t o t hr ee confr ont t oday;

I dent ify w hat infor m at ion and suppor t sour ces par ent s of young childr en t ur n t o, w her e gaps ex ist , and how t o best com m unicat e w it h par ent s about im por t ant par ent ing issues and challenges;

Develop a bet t er under st anding of t he fact or s t hat influence appr oaches t o par ent ing. This includes under st anding per cept ions of key social, em ot ional, and cognit ive developm ent al benchm ar ks, expect at ions for w hen young childr en ar e capable of achieving such benchm ar ks, and under st anding cult ur al influences on par ent ing such as beliefs, values, and goals; and,

Bet t er under st and how par ent s int er pr et and r espond t o t heir childr en’s behav ior .

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Ex e cu t iv e Su m m a r y

Par ent ing oft en is t out ed as life’s m ost r ew ar ding j ob. Par ent ing can be a j oyful exper ience but also can be ver y challenging. This sur vey of 1,615 par ent s of childr en ages bir t h t o t hr ee sheds som e m eaningful light on t he exper iences of par ent s t oday, w hat fact or s t hey feel shape t heir appr oach t o par ent ing, w ho t hey r ely on for child car e assist ance, and w ho or w hat t hey value as t r ust ed sour ces w hen quest ions ar ise r egar ding childr ear ing. The sur vey also r eveals im por t ant new infor m at ion r egar ding par ent s’ beliefs and m isconcept ions about t he fact or s t hat fost er healt hy developm ent and t heir expect at ions for w hen y oung childr en ar e capable of r eaching differ ent dev elopm ent al m ilest ones.

The full r epor t pr ovides a w ealt h of infor m at ion t hat helps us t o bet t er under st and t hese ar eas of explor at ion in gr eat det ail, and acr oss differ ent subgr oups of par ent s. I n r eview ing t he findings, it is im por t ant t o keep in m ind t hat w hile t his sur v ey can help ident ify w her e differ ences exist , it cannot t ell us

w hy differ ences in per spect ive, at t it udes, and know ledge exist am ong var ious

gr oups of par ent s or how t hese fact or s im pact t he par ent ing exper ience or individual childr en’s developm ent . We do know t hat a fam ily’s cult ur al beliefs and values, and t heir individual exper iences, all play a r ole in t he developm ent of t hese differ ent per spect ives. How ever , under st anding how t hese issues im pact par ent ing exper iences is beyond t he scope of t his r esear ch.

Ke y Fin din gs:

Pa r e n t s u n de r st a n d t h e im por t a n ce of a n u m be r of e x pe r ie n ce s t h a t a r e cr it ica l t o y ou n g ch ildr e n ’s de v e lopm e n t .

This r esear ch r eveals t he good new s t hat par ent s ar e get t ing t he m essage t hat par t icipat ing in cer t ain act ivit ies and exper iences w it h t heir young child w ill help fost er t he child’s healt hy developm ent . Vir t ually all par ent s ( 93% ) under st and t he im por t ance of r eading t o young childr en in fost er ing cognit ive developm ent and near ly as m any par ent s for w hom English is not t heir pr im ar y language appr eciat e t he im por t ance of speaking ( 88% ) and r eading ( 83% ) t o t heir baby in t heir nat ive language. While st ill a fair ly subst ant ial m aj or it y, few er par ent s see t he im por t ance of t alking t o ( 74% ) and singing t o ( 70% ) ver y young babies or new bor ns in facilit at ing cognit ive developm ent .

A fair ly st r ong m aj or it y of par ent s also under st and t he im por t ance of engaging in cer t ain act ivit ies and exper iences t hat suppor t t heir child’s social- em ot ional developm ent . For exam ple, m or e t han 80% of par ent s believe t hat let t ing a child play w it h ot her childr en, com for t ing a child w hen upset , and set t ing and enfor cing r ules fost er social developm ent .

M a n y pa r e n t s la ck a cle a r u n de r st a n din g of w h e n y ou n g ch ild r e n a r e ca pa ble of r e a ch in g ce r t a in de v e lopm e n t a l m ile st on e s.

Gener ally, par ent s dem onst r at e less under st anding of w hen childr en ar e capable of r eaching em ot ional m ilest ones t han cognit ive or physical ones. This lack of

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childr en, and ult im at ely fr ust r at ion. This is dem onst r at ed by t he fact t hat m any of t he challenging behavior s t hat par ent s ar e vexed by involve t heir child’s em ot ional developm ent . The m ost com m only m ent ioned childr ear ing challenges t hat par ent s face include t ant r um s, cr ying, and t he child not being able t o cont r ol his or her em ot ions.

Pa r e n t s d o n ot fu lly u n de r st a n d h ow de e ply ba bie s’ a n d t oddle r s’ socia l-e m ot ion a l dl-e v l-e lopm l-e n t is a ffl-e ct l-e d b y cl-e r t a in l-e a r ly l-e x p l-e r il-e n cl-e s.

A significant m aj or it y of par ent s do not r ealize t hat by six m ont hs m ost babies can exper ience feelings such as sadness and fear ( 69% ) and can be affect ed by t heir par ent s’ m oods ( 65% ) . Many par ent s also ar e not aw ar e t hat m ost childr en ar e capable of feeling good or bad about t hem selves bet w een ages one t o t w o, w it h a m aj or it y believing t hat t his happens lat er in a child’s developm ent .

Fa m ily is cr it ica l for pa r e n t s of y ou n g ch ildr e n , bot h a s a sou r ce of su ppor t a n d in for m a t ion , a n d a s a n u n de r ly in g in flu e n ce t h a t sh a pe s t h e ir a ppr oa ch t o p a r e n t in g.

Par ent s w ho r ely on som eone ot her t han t hem selves or t heir spouse for child car e m ost ly r ely on a fam ily m em ber t o pr ovide such car e. One in four par ent s r elies on t he child’s gr andpar ent and 9% r ely on anot her fam ily m em ber t o pr ov ide child car e.

When quest ions ar ise r egar ding par ent ing, par ent s t r ust fam ily m em ber s, especially m ot her s, as a sour ce of day- t o- day infor m at ion. Near ly half of par ent s ( 47% ) t ur n t o t heir m ot her or m ot her - in- law w hen seeking infor m at ion about par ent ing, 16% t ur n t o a r elat iv e ot her t han a par ent or in- law , and 12% t ur n t o t heir spouse w hen par ent ing quest ions ar ise.

Fam ily also plays a ver y im por t ant r ole in influencing a par ent ’s appr oach t o childr ear ing. Mor e t han eight in 10 par ent s say t hat t he w ay t heir par ent s r aised t hem has a m aj or ( 53% ) or m oder at e ( 30% ) influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing.

Fa it h h a s a sign ifica n t in flu e n ce on pa r e n t in g a ppr oa ch e s.

Par ent s also cr edit t heir fait h and r eligious backgr ound, w hich oft en is passed on t hr ough fam ily, as hav ing a pow er ful influence on how t hey appr oach childr ear ing. Tw o- t hir ds of par ent s ident ify t heir fait h as having a m aj or ( 41% ) or m oder at e ( 23% ) influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing. Fait h is a m or e pow er ful influence t han ot her fact or s, including input fr om pr ofessionals and infor m at ion gar ner ed fr om par ent ing books and m agazines.

Th e r e se a r ch a lso r e v e a ls t h a t pa r e n t s of y ou n g ch ildr e n fa ce a n u m be r of ch a lle n ge s t oda y .

Pa r e n t s fin d it difficu lt t o st r ik e a ba la n ce .

Most par ent s exper ience challenges r elat ed t o balancing t heir m any com pet ing r esponsibilit ies. Near ly six in 10 par ent s feel t hat t her e is r oom for im pr ov em ent in balancing t he pr ior it ies of fam ily, w or k, and ot her r esponsibilit ies. Likely

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cont r ibut ing t o t his is t he fact t hat a significant pr opor t ion of par ent s ( 45% ) feel t hey could benefit fr om m or e help or suppor t w hen t hey ar e over w helm ed w it h t heir par ent ing r esponsibilit ies.

Th e e con om y n e ga t iv e ly im pa ct s m a n y pa r e n t s’ ch ild ca r e a r r a n ge m e n t s.

Fur t her com pounding t he challenges m any par ent s face as t hey w or k t o find a healt hy life balance is t hat m illions of par ent s ar e feeling t he negat ive im pact of t he econom ic dow nt ur n, w hich is specifically affect ing t heir child car e ar r angem ent s. The r ecession has for ced one in four par ent s t o m ake adj ust m ent s t o t heir child car e ar r angem ent s. One in five of t hese par ent s r epor t s t hat t hey sim ply cannot affor d child car e, 11% say t heir spouse has t aken over child car e dut ies due t o losing a j ob, and 10% have cut back on child car e hour s.

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Ke y Fin din gs: An I n - D e pt h Look

I . Ch ildr e a r in g Ch a lle n ge s Th a t Pa r e n t s Con fr on t Toda y

Par ent ing can be a j oyful and r ew ar ding exper ience. But it can also be quit e challenging. Fr om t he day- t o- day r esponsibilit ies inher ent in r aising young childr en t o t he lar ger pr essur es t hat affect m any fam ilies due t o t he econom ic dow nt ur n, par ent s of young childr en face a var iet y of challenges in t oday’s w or ld.

Sa fe t y t ops t h e list of ov e r a ll con ce r n s.

Many par ent s’ t op- of- m ind concer ns about childr ear ing per t ain t o t heir child’s safet y and w ell- being. One in four par ent s says t hat w or r ies about t heir childr en get t ing inj ur ed or hur t or t heir inabilit y t o pr ot ect t heir childr en fr om inj ur y t op t he list of t hings t hey w or r y m ost about , and slight ly few er ident ify w or r ies about t heir childr en get t ing sick or having healt h pr oblem s ( 21% )1. Ot her concer ns t hat som e par ent s r ank at t he t op of t heir list include t heir child doing w ell in school ( 13% ) and discipline pr oblem s, including r espect ing and obeying aut hor it y ( 12% ) . Only 9% ident ify insecur it ies about t heir ow n par ent ing skills as a t op concer n.

Ch a lle n gin g be h a v ior s t h a t p a r e n t s con fr on t .

Tem per t ant r um s ( 34% ) and cr ying and cont r olling em ot ions ( 15% ) t op t he list of childr ear ing challenges t hat par ent s ident ify.2 Ot her issues t hat par ent s ident ify as m ain challenges include bit ing and fight ing ( 14% ) , not list ening ( 13% ) , sleeping and bedt im e issues ( 11% ) , pot t y t r aining ( 9% ) , and food and eat ing issues ( 8% ) .

Pa r e n t s Ra t e Ch ildr e a r in g’s Gr e a t e st Ch a lle n ge s Pr opor t ion Ra t in g Ea ch As A M ost D ifficu lt Be h a v ior

All %

M ot h e r s %

Fa t h e r s % Tem per t ant r um s 34 40 21 Cont r olling em ot ions, cr ying 15 15 16 Bit ing, fight ing, hit t ing 14 16 9

Not list ening 13 13 13

Sleep, bedt im e issues 11 8 17

Pot t y t r aining 9 10 9

At t it ude, t alking back 9 9 9

Eat ing, food issues 8 6 11

Open- ended quest ion: What ar e t he t w o or t hr ee t hings t hat you w or r y about m ost w hen it com es t o childr ear ing?

Open- ended quest ion: What ar e t he t w o or t hr ee behavior s you find t o be t he m ost difficult w hen it com es t o childr ear ing?

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Mot her s and fat her s have differ ent per cept ions of w hat t hey find challenging. Tw ice as m any m ot her s as fat her s ident ify t em per t ant r um s as a t op challenge and t w ice as m any fat her s as m ot her s ident ify sleep and bedt im e issues as a t op challenge.

Fir st - t im e par ent s ar e m or e likely t han par ent s w it h m ult iple childr en t o ident ify issues r elat ed t o sleeping and bedt im e ( 17% ver sus 8% ) and issues r elat ed t o eat ing ( 14% v er sus 5% ) as t op challenges.

Fin din g a ba la n ce is n o sm a ll fe a t .

As any par ent know s, t he challenges of childr ear ing ar e not lim it ed t o t hose t hat ar e dir ect ly r elat ed t o par ent ing. Many par ent s exper ience challenges r elat ed t o balancing t he m any com pet ing pr ior it ies of life.

Room For I m pr ov e m e nt I n Life

Ba la nce : M or e Sup por t N e e de d

41%

47% 54%

30%

Do you get the help/support you need when you feel overw helmed/stressed about parenting?

Satisfaction w ith balance of family/work/other responsibility Very satisfied Dissatis-fied 12% No help N o h elp 8%

Get help/ support I need Some help/want more Get little/ no help 15%

Get li ttle/ no hel p Whites

Af rican Americans Hispanics Single/separated/ divorced

Under $20K income 14% 20% 20% 25% 23% Some-what satisfied

Less likel y very satisfied Fat hers

Over $100K income Single/separat ed/divorced Have non-f amily caregiver

37% 36% 33% 31%

While 41% of par ent s ar e ver y sat isfied w it h t heir life balance, near ly six in 10 feel t hat t her e is r oom for im pr ovem ent on t his fr ont , w it h near ly half feeling som ew hat sat isfied and 12% feeling dissat isfied w it h t heir life balance. Som e gr oups r epor t being ver y sat isfied at low er r at es t han par ent s over all. These include fat her s, par ent s w it h household incom es of $100,000 or m or e, par ent s w ho ar e single, separ at ed or divor ced, and t hose w ho r ely on som eone ot her t han a fam ily m em ber for child car e.

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M a n y pa r e n t s n e e d m or e su ppor t .

An im por t ant com ponent of par ent s balancing t heir m any im por t ant pr ior it ies is r eceiving suppor t w hen it is needed. While j ust over half of par ent s r eceive t he help and suppor t t hey need w hen over w helm ed or st r essed out , t he r em aining 45% feel t hey could use addit ional suppor t at t im es. Thr ee in 10 par ent s r eceive som e help and suppor t , but w ould like m or e, and 15% eit her need a lot m or e help and suppor t or say t hey do not r eceive any help and suppor t w hen t hey need it . This t r anslat es int o m illions of par ent s w ho need addit ional assist ance w hen t hey face par ent ing challenges or ar e over w helm ed.

Par ent s w ho feel t hat t hey need a lot m or e help and suppor t at higher r at es t han t he over all par ent populat ion include t he follow ing:

Single, separ at ed, or divor ced par ent s ( 25% )

Par ent s w it h annual household incom es less t han $20,000 ( 23% )

Hispanic and Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s ( 20% each)

Ch ild ca r e a r r a n ge m e n t s.

A significant pr opor t ion of par ent s r ely r egular ly on som eone else t o car e for t heir child and m ost par ent s ar e sat isfied w it h t hese ar r angem ent s. Half of par ent s ( 51% ) have a r egular car egiver for t heir child ot her t han t hem selves or t heir spouse or par t ner and t hese par ent s m ost fr equent ly r ely on a fam ily m em ber t o pr ovide child car e.

H a lf H a v e Re g u la r Ch ild Ca r e O t h e r

Th a n Th e m se lv e s Or Sp ou se / Pa r t n e r

49% Have regular child care 51% Do not

have regular child care

Child care provider*

Grandparent Other family Friend/neighbor Day care center Day care in child’s home Day care in provider’s home Other

23% 9% 3% 14% 4% 2% 1%

* Volunteer ed responses to open-ended question

Have regular child care

Whites

African Americans Hispanics Single/separated/ divorced

Income $100K/more 47% 71% 55% 71% 60%

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23% of par ent s r ely on t he child’s gr andpar ent

14% use a child car e cent er

9% r ely on a fam ily m em ber ot her t han t he child’s gr andpar ent

4% use in- hom e child car e

Not sur pr isingly, fam ilies in w hich bot h par ent s w or k ( 79% ) and single, separ at ed, or divor ced par ent s ( 71% ) r ely on a r egular car egiver at m uch higher r at es.

Afr ican Am er icans ( 71% ) also hav e a r egular car egiver at significant ly higher r at es t han ot her par ent s. This is likely due t o t he fact t hat Afr ican-Am er ican par ent s ar e single, separ at ed, or divor ced at higher r at es and t her efor e ar e m or e likely t o need child car e assist ance.

o 27% of Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s r ely on t he child’s gr andpar ent

o 24% use a child car e cent er

o 20% r ely on a fam ily m em ber ot her t han t he child’s gr andpar ent

Par ent s w it h household incom es of $100,000 or m or e also r ely on a

r egular car egiv er at higher r at es ( 60% ) .

o 22% r ely on a child car e cent er

o 21% r ely on t he child’s gr andpar ent

o 8% have a child car e pr ovider w ho com es t o t heir hom e

Roughly six in 10 par ent s w ho do not r ely on r egular child car e ot her t han t hem selves, t heir spouse, or par t ner ar e st ay- at - hom e par ent s, st udent s, or unem ployed. Appr oxim at ely one in t hr ee has a spouse w ho is a st ay- at - hom e par ent , st udent , or is unem ployed.

Par ent s r epor t v er y high lev els of sat isfact ion w it h t heir cur r ent child car e ar r angem ent s, w it h m or e t han nine in 10 feeling ver y ( 71% ) or som ew hat ( 23% ) sat isfied. High r at es of sat isfact ion can be found am ong m ost subgr oups. Only 5% of par ent s feel dissat isfied, and t hose w ho feel dissat isfied at m uch higher r at es include t he follow ing:

Par ent s w ho ar e not sat isfied w it h t heir life balance ( 21% dissat isfied w it h t heir child car e ar r angem ent s)

Single, separ at ed, or divor ced par ent s ( 13% )

I m pa ct of t h e e con om ic dow n t u r n on ch ild ca r e a r r a n ge m e n t s.

The econom ic dow nt ur n has for ced one- quar t er of par ent s t o m ake a change in t heir child car e ar r angem ent s. This t r anslat es int o m illions of par ent s exper iencing child car e- r elat ed har dships acr oss t he count r y.

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Econom ic D ow n t ur n Af f e ct s Child

Ca r e For One I n Fou r Pa r e nt s

2% 75%

23%

Economic downturn has affected my child

care arrangements Economic

downturn has not affected my

child care arrangements

Not sure

Economy has affected child care arrangements Single/separated/divorced

Immigrants Income under $20K

32% 32% 28%

Whites

A frican Americans Hispanics

21% 27% 27%

Som e par ent s face t hese har dships at even higher r at es:

Single, separ at ed, or divor ced par ent s ( 32% )

Low - incom e par ent s w it h household incom es less t han $20,000 ( 28% )

Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s ( 27% )

Hispanic par ent s ( 27% )

The m ost com m on w ays in w hich t he econom ic dow nt ur n has affect ed child car e ar r angem ent s include t he follow ing:

Not being able t o affor d child car e ( 21% )

A spouse w ho has lost a j ob assum ing addit ional child car e dut ies ( 11% )

Cut t ing back on child car e hour s ( 10% )

Making ot her child car e ar r angem ent s ( 7% )

The pr ice of child car e incr easing ( 5% )

Changing w or k schedules or split t ing shift s t o be able t o car e for t he young child ( 5% )

(14)

I I . Pe ople An d Sou r ce s Pa r e n t s Re ly On For Pa r e n t in g I n for m a t ion

W h o pa r e n t s t u r n t o for da y - t o- da y in pu t on p a r e n t in g .

Given t he degr ee t o w hich m any par ent s r ely on fam ily t o help car e for t heir childr en, it is not sur pr ising t o lear n t hat fam ily is a ver y im por t ant day- t o- day sour ce of infor m at ion for par ent s of young childr en.

Fa m ily I s I m p or t a nt D a y -

To-D a y Sour ce Of I nfor m a t ion

6% 5% 3%

6% 9%

12% 12% 13%

16% 21%

47% In your day-to-day life, to whom do you usually turn for

information about child development and parenting?

18% among Hispanics and low-income parents

Mother/mother-in-law Friends Other relative Child’s pediatrician Spouse/partner Father/father-in-law Web sites Grandparents Books/magazines Other Don’t seek information

Mot her s ar e t he fam ily m em ber s m ost par ent s t ur n t o for r egular input . I n fact , 47% of par ent s r egular ly t ur n t o t heir m ot her or m ot her - in- law for infor m at ion about child developm ent and par ent ing.3 Mot her s ar e an im por t ant sour ce of par ent ing infor m at ion acr oss dem ogr aphic subgr oups, and especially for par ent s under age 25, 55% of w hom t ur n t o t heir m ot her s r egular ly for par ent ing infor m at ion.

One in fiv e par ent s t ur ns t o fr iends, 16% t ur n t o r elat ives ot her t han par ent s, in-law s, or gr andpar ent s, 13% t ur n t o t heir child’s pediat r ician, 12% t ur n t o t heir spouse or par t ner , and an equal pr opor t ion t ur n t o t heir fat her or fat her - in- law for par ent ing infor m at ion.

Men ar e t hr ee t im es m or e likely t han t heir fem ale count er par t s t o t ur n t o t heir spouse or par t ner for par ent ing infor m at ion, w it h 21% of m en doing so com par ed w it h only 7% of w om en.

Hispanic par ent s ( 18% ) and low - incom e par ent s w it h annual incom es less t han $20, 000 ( 18% ) ar e m or e likely t han ot her s t o t ur n t o t heir child’s doct or for infor m at ion.

(15)

Sou r ce s pa r e n t s t u r n t o for pa r e n t in g in for m a t ion .

I n t oday’s w or ld t her e ar e m yr iad sour ces t o w hich par ent s of y oung childr en can t ur n w hen t hey have quest ions or need infor m at ion about par ent ing—fr om m or e t r adit ional sour ces such as par ent ing books and m agazines, t o t he m any new r esour ces t he I nt er net pr ovides, such as blogs and social net w or king Web sit es.

Pa r e nt s Tur n To M a g a z ine s

And W e b Sit e s M ost Fr e que nt ly

11% 6% 22% 61%

19% 8% 20% 53%

17% 15% 52% 16%

23% 9% 31% 37%

23% 15% 40% 22%

30% 12% 27% 31%

27% 23% 29% 21%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

A few times a month/more often Once a month Several times a year/hardly ever Never

H ow often do you turn to these sources for information on parenting?

Parenting magazines Parenting Web sites Parenting books Parenting TV programs Broc hures from child’s MD/child care provider Blogs/chat rooms/ social network sites

Parenting groups

Par ent ing m agazines and Web sit es ar e t he sour ces t o w hich par ent s t ur n m ost fr equent ly. Half of par ent s t ur n t o par ent ing m agazines at least once a m ont h and 42% t ur n t o par ent ing Web sit es w it h t he sam e fr equency .

Par ent s w it h household incom es of $100,000 or m or e ar e m or e lik ely t o get infor m at ion fr om Web sit es, w it h 52% t ur ning t o Web sit es for par ent ing infor m at ion at least once a m ont h.

While par ent s m ay not t ur n t o par ent ing books w it h t he sam e fr equency as m agazines or Web sit es, t hey st ill ar e an im por t ant sour ce of infor m at ion. Thir t y- eight per cent of par ent s t ur n t o par ent ing books at least once a m ont h and 56% t ur n t o books sev er al t im es a year or m or e oft en. Sim ilar ly, m ost par ent s do not t ur n t o br ochur es or flier s fr om pediat r icians or child car e pr ovider s w it h gr eat fr equency, but t w o- t hir ds access t hese kinds of r esour ces sever al t im es a y ear or m or e.

Appr oxim at ely one- t hir d of par ent s t ur ns t o par ent ing TV pr ogr am s at least once a m ont h.

Par ent s w it h household incom es less t han $20,000 ar e even m or e likely t o t ur n t o TV pr ogr am s r egular ly , w it h 20% r epor t ing t hat t hey do so at least once a w eek .

(16)

While par ent s do not r ely on int er act ive social net w or king and com m unicat ion Web sit es as fr equent ly as ot her infor m at ion sour ces ( 68% of par ent s har dly ever or never access t hem ) , t hey ar e an im por t ant sour ce of par ent ing infor m at ion for cer t ain subgr oups of par ent s, and likely w ill gr ow in im por t ance as com put er and I nt er net use incr easingly becom es a par t of people’s daily lives. Appr oxim at ely one in four par ent s uses par ent ing blogs, chat r oom s, or social net w or king I nt er net sit es once a m ont h or m or e fr equent ly. Par ent s w ho t ur n t o t hese sour ces for infor m at ion once a w eek or m or e oft en include t he follow ing gr oups:

Par ent s under age 25 ( 18% )

Hispanic par ent s ( 18% )

West Coast par ent s ( 17% )

Fir st - t im e par ent s and par ent s of ver y young babies ( less t han nine m ont hs old) t ur n t o m ost of t he sour ces list ed below m or e fr equent ly t han t he over all par ent populat ion.

Pr opor t ion W h o Tu r n To Ea ch Sou r ce At Le a st On ce A M on t h Fir st - Tim e

Pa r e n t s %

Pa r e n t s Of Ch ildr e n Bir t h To 8 M on t h s

Par ent ing m agazines 60 62

Parent ing Web sit es 55 53

Parent ing books 47 53

Par ent ing TV program s 35 37

Br ochur es fr om child’s MD/ child car e pr ovider 42 47 Blogs/ chat r oom s/ social net w or k sit es 37 34

Parent ing groups 22 16

This r esear ch also r eveals var iat ion acr oss r acial and et hnic gr oups, r egar ding t he sour ces par ent s t ur n t o r egular ly for par ent ing infor m at ion.

Pr opor t ion W h o Tu r n To Ea ch Sou r ce At Le a st On ce A M on t h

W h it e Pa r e n t s

Afr ica n - Am e r ica n

Pa r e n t s %

H ispa n ic Pa r e n t s

Par ent ing m agazines 48 52 55

Parent ing Web sit es 41 39 47

Parent ing books 34 45 42

Parent ing TV program s 25 41 47

(17)

I I I . I n flu e n ce s On Pa r e n t in g

Fam ily is t he pr im ar y social building block acr oss cult ur es. I t is t hr ough fam ily t hat values, cust om s, fait h, and cult ur al t r adit ions ar e passed t o t he next gener at ion. Ther efor e, w hen ex plor ing t he fact or s t hat influence par ent s’ gener al appr oach t o childr ear ing ( not w hom t hey t ur n t o w hen t hey have a quest ion or need infor m at ion) , it is not sur pr ising t hat fam ily hist or y, cult ur e, and fait h em er ge as t he m ost pow er ful influences.

Fa m ily H ist or y And Fait h Ar e

Pow e r fu l I nf lue n ce s O n Pa r e nt in g

9% 37% 40% 14%

35% 42% 18% 5%

35% 44% 16% 5%

41% 23% 19% 17%

53% 30% 11% 6%

0% 20% 4 0% 60% 8 0% 100%

Major influe nce Moderate i nfluence Minor influe nce No influence

How much influence does this have on your approach to parenting?

Way my parents raised me Faith/religious

background Professionals’ input: pediatrician, child care profess ionals Input from family and close friends Parenting information in books , magazines, Web sites, TV s hows

48% of single/separated/divorced parent s, 40% of Hispanic parents cite this as major influence

H ow a pe r son w a s r a ise d h a s a pow e r f u l in flu e n ce on t h e ir a ppr oa ch t o pa r e n t in g .

Mor e t han half of par ent s ( 53% ) say t he w ay t heir par ent s r aised t hem has a m aj or influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing and anot her 30% say it has a m oder at e influence.

Afr ican Am er icans ar e subst ant ially m or e likely t han Hispanic or w hit e par ent s t o ident ify t he w ay t hey w er e r aised as having a m aj or influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing—61% of Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s r epor t t his com par ed w it h 52% of w hit e par ent s and 49% of Hispanic par ent s.

Fat her s ar e m or e likely t han m ot her s t o ident ify t he w ay t heir par ent s r aised t hem as a m aj or influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing, w it h 59% of fat her s r epor t ing t his com par ed w it h 50% of m ot her s.

(18)

Fa it h a n d r e ligion a lso a r e pow e r fu l in flu e n ce s on pa r e n t in g.

Tw o- t hir ds of par ent s say t heir fait h or r eligious backgr ound has a m aj or ( 41% ) or m oder at e ( 23% ) influence on t heir appr oach t o childr ear ing.

Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s ( 49% ) ar e subst ant ially m or e likely t han

Hispanic ( 35% ) or w hit e ( 42% ) par ent s t o ident ify t his as hav ing a m aj or influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing.

Th e in flu e n ce of pr ofe ssion a ls on pa r e n t in g .

I nput fr om pr ofessionals, such as pediat r icians and child car e pr ofessionals, also influence t he appr oach par ent s t ake t o r aising t heir childr en. One- t hir d ident ifies t hese pr ofessional sour ces as having a m aj or influence and 44% say t hey have a m oder at e influence on t heir appr oach t o childr ear ing. Som e not able subgr oup differ ences include:

Par ent s w ho ar e single, separ at ed, or divor ced ( 48% say m aj or

influence) , and Hispanic par ent s ( 40% m aj or influence) ar e m or e likely t han ot her s t o ident ify input fr om pr ofessionals as a m aj or influence.

Par ent s of babies less t han nine m ont hs old ar e m or e likely t han par ent s of older childr en t o r ely on input fr om pr ofessionals; 39% and 34% r espect ively ident ify such input as hav ing a m aj or influence.

Fir st - t im e par ent s ar e m or e likely t han par ent s w ho have m ult iple childr en t o ident ify input fr om pr ofessionals as having a m aj or influence on t heir par ent ing decisions; 38% and 33% r espect ively ident ify such input as having a m aj or influence.

Ot h e r in flu e n ce s on pa r e n t in g.

Giv en t hat m any par ent s r ely on fam ily and close fr iends t o car e for t heir young childr en, and t he significance t hat a m aj or it y of par ent s place on t he w ay t hey w er e r aised on influencing t heir appr oach t o par ent ing, it is not sur pr ising t hat t hr ee in four par ent s ident ify input fr om fam ily and close fr iends as a m aj or ( 35% ) or m oder at e ( 42% ) influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing.

Slight ly few er t han half of par ent s ident ify par ent ing infor m at ion fr om books, m agazines, Web sit es, or TV show s as having a m aj or ( 9% ) or m oder at e ( 37% ) influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing.

(19)

I V . Pa r e n t s’ Pe r ce pt ion s Of Ex pe r ie n ce s Th a t I n flu e n ce Socia l,

Em ot ion a l, a n d Cogn it iv e Ch ild D e v e lopm e n t

This r esear ch exam ines par ent s’ per cept ions of fact or s t hat influence young childr en’s social, em ot ional, and cognit ive developm ent . The good new s is t hat effor t s over t he year s t o help infor m par ent s’ under st anding of child developm ent and t he exper iences t hat play a posit iv e r ole in fost er ing healt hy gr ow t h m ay be paying off. How ev er , t her e also ar e indicat ions t hat t hese effor t s m ay not be r eaching all par ent s. This m ay be due t o t he fact t hat t his infor m at ion is not r eadily available, or because t he infor m at ion par ent s do r eceive is not consist ent w it h t heir fam ily’s cult ur al beliefs or values. While t his r esear ch does not shed light on w hy t hese differ ences exist , it does indicat e t hat t her e is addit ional w or k t o be done t o im pr ove out r each and dialogue on t he exper iences t hat influence child developm ent w it h som e par ent s.

U n d e rs t an d in g O f Exp e r ie n ce s T h a t

F o st e r S o cia l/ Em o t io n a l D ev elo p m e n t

25% 41% 42% 46% 53% 52% 55%

Majo r influence (10 rating on 10-point scale) Strong influence (8-9 ratings)

Perceived influence of activities on supporting social and emotional development of children ages birth to three

Setting and enforcing rules Playing/interacting with other children

Comforting when child is upset

Establishing routines Talking about feelings with child Encouraging child to keep working at difficult tasks Following child’s

lead during play

85% 84% 83% 79% 71% 71% 61% Mean rating 8.9 8.8 8.8 8.6 8.3 8.3 7.7

A significant m aj or it y of par ent s under st and t hat t he follow ing exper iences have a st r ong or m aj or influence on helping a child t o develop socially and em ot ionally:4

Set t ing and enfor cing r ules ( 85% ) ,

Giving a child oppor t unit ies t o play and int er act w it h ot her childr en ( 84% ) ,

Com for t ing a child w hen upset ( 83% ) ,

Using a 10- point scale, par ent s w er e asked t o r at e t he influence of a num ber of act ivit ies on helping a child age bir t h t o t hr ee t o develop socially, em ot ionally, and cognit ively ( 10 m eans a m aj or influence and one m eans lit t le or no influence) .

(20)

Est ablishing r out ines ( 79% ) ,

Talking about feelings w it h a child ( 71% ) ,

Encour aging a child t o keep w or king on a difficult t ask ( 71% ) .

Differ ences exist am ong var ious par ent subgr oups in t heir per cept ion of t he im por t ance of t hese ear ly exper iences.

Mot her s ar e subst ant ially m or e likely t han fat her s t o believe t hat t hese ex per iences hav e a st r ong or m aj or influence on t he social and em ot ional developm ent of a young child.

Par ent s w it h m ult iple childr en ar e m or e likely t o indicat e t he im por t ance of m any of t he exper iences ( set t ing and enfor cing r ules, com for t ing a child w hen upset , and est ablishing r out ines) .

Whit e par ent s ar e m or e likely t han t heir Afr ican- Am er ican or Hispanic count er par t s t o ident ify set t ing and enfor cing r ules, com for t ing a child w hen upset , and encour aging a child t o keep w or king at a difficult t ask as st r ong or m aj or influences.

Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s ar e less lik ely t han t heir w hit e or Hispanic count er par t s t o ident ify est ablishing r out ines and t alking about feelings as hav ing a st r ong or m aj or influence on t he social and em ot ional developm ent of a young child.

U n d e rst a n d in g O f Ex pe rie n ces T h at

Fo st er So cia l/ Em ot io n a l D e ve lop m en t

Perceptions Vary Among Subgroups

% rating each as a major/strong influence (ratings of 8, 9, 10)

Setting and enforcing rules Comforting when child is upset Playing/interacting with other children

Establishing routines

Talking about feelings with child Encouraging child to keep working at difficult tasks Following child’s lead during play Whites 87% 85% 84% 80% 70% 75% 60% African Americans 77% 75% 79% 72% 65% 66% 59% His-panics 77% 74% 82% 82% 74% 64% 59% First-time parents 81% 80% 85% 75% 71% 69% 62% Repeat parents 86% 85% 84% 82% 71% 73% 61%

(21)

St r on g Un d e r st a nd in g Of Ex pe r ie n ce s

Th a t Fa cilit a t e Le a r n in g

33% 45%

56% 46%

63% 70%

73%

Majo r influence (10 rating on 10-point scale) Strong influence (8-9 ratings)

Perceived influence of activities on helping children ages birth to three learn

Reading to child Speaking to baby

in main language Reading to baby in main language Playing with other children Talking to newborn Singing to baby Playing pretend

with child

93% 88% 83% 81% 74% 70% 65%

Mean rating 9.4 9.1 9.0 8.7 8.5 8.2 8.0

93% say they regularly talk to their infant or young child and feel comf ort able doing so.

Par ent s dem onst r at e an even st r onger under st anding of t he exper iences t hat can help a young child develop cognit ive skills. An over w helm ing m aj or it y of par ent s ( 93% ) under st and t hat r eading t o a child has a st r ong or m aj or influence on t heir cognit ive developm ent ( 73% of par ent s r at e t his a “ 10” on t he 10- point scale) .

Par ent s for w hom English is not t heir pr im ar y language under st and t he im por t ance of speak ing and r eading t o t heir young childr en in t heir nat iv e language. Mor e t han four in five par ent s under st and t hat t hese ex per iences hav e a st r ong or m aj or influence on helping y oung childr en develop cognit ive skills.

Par ent s w ho im m igr at ed t o t he Unit ed St at es ( 15% ) and Hispanic par ent s ( 12% ) ar e m or e likely t han ot her s t o som et im es feel uncom for t able t alking t o t heir young childr en because t hey do not under st and or t alk back.

Ther e st ill is w or k t o be done in helping par ent s t o under st and t he im por t ance of t alking and singing t o new bor ns or ver y young babies. While vir t ually all par ent s ( 93% ) say t hey t alk t o t heir infant or young child r egular ly and ar e com for t able doing so, few er r ecognize t hese exper iences as im por t ant t o t he cognit ive developm ent of young childr en. Thr ee in four par ent s ident ify t alking t o a new bor n and 70% ident ify singing t o a baby as st r ong or m aj or influences on lear ning. This m eans t hat 25% t o 30% of par ent s do not t hink t hese exper iences hav e st r ong or m aj or influences on a y oung child’s healt hy developm ent .

(22)

Mot her s ar e subst ant ially m or e likely t han fat her s t o t hink t hat t hese exper iences have an im por t ant influence on t he cognit iv e developm ent of young childr en.

U nd e r st a ndin g Of Ex pe r ie n ce s

Tha t Fa cilit a t e Le a r ning

Perceptions Vary Between Mothers And Fathers

% rating each as a major/strong influence (ratings of 8, 9, 10)

Reading to child

Playing with other children

Talking to newborn

Singing to baby

Playing pretend with child

Mothers

94%

83%

80%

76%

70%

Fathers

89%

77%

65%

60%

54%

Resear ch on t he im pact of m edia on young childr en show s t hat t he r ange of m edia designed for babies and t oddler s, including TV, DVDs, and com put er gam es, have lim it ed posit ive im pact on cognit ive developm ent , and in som e cases m ay have a negat ive im pact , im peding language dev elopm ent . Par ent s’ per cept ions about t he influence of differ ent for m s of m edia on childr en’s developm ent var y. Half of par ent s ( 49% ) ident ify w at ching educat ional TV show s and DVDs w it h a y oung child as an ex per ience t hat has a st r ong or m aj or influence on helping a child lear n and only 30% assess using com put er pr ogr am s and I nt er net Web sit e act ivit ies or gam es as a st r ong or m aj or influence.

Par ent s w ho do not have a four - y ear college degr ee ar e subst ant ially m or e likely t o r at e t hese m edia as having a st r ong or m aj or influence on lear ning, as ar e Afr ican- Am er ican and Hispanic par ent s, w hen com par ed w it h t heir w hit e count er par t s.

By far , par ent s cit e t he educat ional value ( 61% ) as t he pr im ar y r eason t hey use differ ent for m s of m edia w it h t heir child. Ot her r easons include t he follow ing:5

Their child enj oys specific pr ogr am s ( 18% )

I t k eeps t he child quiet or occupied in t he car or allow s t he par ent t o do ot her t hings, such as chor es or j ust get a br eak ( 17% )

Ent er t ainm ent or dow nt im e for t he child ( 16% )

(23)

Teaching coor dinat ion or m ot or sk ills ( i.e., dancing, exer cise) ( 5% )

Teaching social skills and m anner s ( 5% )

(24)

V . Pa r e n t s’ Ex pe ct a t ion s For Re a ch in g D e v e lopm e n t a l M ile st on e s

While par ent s by and lar ge value t he differ ent act ivit ies and exper iences t hat facilit at e t he social, em ot ional, and cognit ive developm ent of young childr en, t hey ar e less clear on t he t im ing of w hen differ ent developm ent al m ilest ones ar e r eached. Gener ally, par ent s dem onst r at e less under st anding of w hen childr en at t ain em ot ional m ilest ones ( e.g., exper iencing cer t ain feelings) t han cognit ive ( e.g., follow ing basic inst r uct ions) or physical ( e.g., being t oilet t r ained) m ilest ones.6

Ch ild Ca n Ex p e r ie nce Fe e lin gs

Lik e Sa dn e ss An d Fe a r

30% _{2 8%}

24%

12%

4 %

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

0-6 mo 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Likely achieved by 0-6 months

Only 30% think a child can do this by age 6 months

Thos e who think this occurs later than 6 months include

69% of al l parents

66% of whites

74% of Hispanics

74% of A frican Americans

Ear ly child developm ent r esear ch show s t hat by six m ont hs, m ost babies can exper ience feelings such as sadness and fear , and can begin t o sense w het her t heir par ent s ar e angr y or sad and can be affect ed by t heir par ent s’ m oods. Only 30% of par ent s t hink t hat a child can exper ience t hese kinds of feelings at such a young age, and a lar ge m aj or it y ( 69% ) t hink t his developm ent al m ilest one occur s lat er in a young child’s life.

Younger par ent s ( under age 25) ar e m or e likely t o t hink t his occur s

bet w een bir t h and age six m ont hs ( 42% say so) .

Hispanic and Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s t hink t his developm ent al m ilest one occur s lat er t han six m ont hs at higher r at es t han t heir w hit e count er par t s.

(25)

Ch ild Be g ins To Se nse I f

Pa r e n t s Ar e Ang r y Or Sa d And

Ca n Be Aff e ct e d By This

34%

21% 24%

13%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

0-6 mo 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Likely achieved by 0-6 months

Only 34% think a child can do this by age 6 months

Thos e who think this occurs later than 6 months include

65% of al l parents

62% of whites

72% of Hispanics

72% of A frican Americans

Sim ilar ly, only 34% of par ent s t hink a young child can begin t o sense w het her t heir par ent s ar e angr y or sad and can be affect ed by t heir par ent s’ m oods by t he t im e t hey r each six m ont hs. Ther efor e, t w o- t hir ds of par ent s do not fully under st and t hat babies can be affect ed in t his cr it ical w ay at such a young age.

Par ent s under age 25 ( 41% ) and m ot her s ( 39% ) ar e m uch m or e likely t han older par ent s ( 33% ) and fat her s ( 24% ) t o t hink t hat t his gener ally occur s by age six m ont hs.

Likely achieved by 1-2 year s

12%

26% 26%

19%

0% 1 0% 2 0% 3 0% 4 0% 5 0% 6 0%

0-6 mo 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Ch ild Ca n Fe e l Good Or Ba d

About H im Or H e r Se lf

43% think a child can do this by age 2

53% think this occurs later

52% of whites

58% of Hispanics

56% of African Americans

(26)

Resear ch also show s t hat m ost childr en ar e capable of feeling good or bad about t hem selv es bet w een ages one and t w o. Only 43% of par ent s t hink a child is capable of such feelings by age t w o, and a m aj or it y of par ent s ( 53% ) do not t hink a child can exper ience t hese feelings unt il t hey ar e older .

Likely achieved by 3-5 years

2% 3%

1 5%

23%

36%

16%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

0-6 m o 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Chil d Ca n Co nt r ol Em ot ion s,

Such As N ot H a v in g Ta nt r um

W he n Fr ustr a te d

79% think a child can do this by age 5

43% think a child can do this by age 3

41% of whites

45% of Hispanics

50% of A frican Americans

Bet w een t he ages of t hr ee and five m ost childr en develop t he capacit y t o cont r ol t heir em ot ions, such as asking for help w hen fr ust r at ed r at her t han having a t ant r um . While slight ly m or e t han one in t hr ee par ent s holds t his expect at ion, a significant pr opor t ion of par ent s expect a young child t o be capable of exer t ing t his kind of self cont r ol at a m uch y ounger age.

43% of par ent s t hink childr en can cont r ol t heir em ot ions by age t hr ee, and 20% expect t his by age t w o.

30% of Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s expect t his t o occur by age t w o,

(27)

Share Upon Request

Likel y achieved by

3-5 years

10%

36% _34%

16%

0% 1 0% 2 0% 3 0% 4 0% 5 0% 6 0%

0-6 mo 7 -12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Ch ild Ca n Sha r e And Ta k e

Tu r ns W it h Ot h e r Childr e n

47% think a child c an share and take turns by age 2

44% of whites

50% of Hispanics

53% of African Americans 81% think this

occurs by age 3

While exper t s agr ee t hat childr en gener ally m ast er t he ar t of shar ing bet w een t hr ee and five year s, eight in 10 par ent s expect childr en t o achieve t his m ilest one by age t hr ee and near ly half of par ent s ( 47% ) ex pect childr en t o be capable of shar ing by age t w o.

11%

59%

23%

0% 1 0% 2 0% 3 0% 4 0% 5 0% 6 0%

0-6 mo 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Ch ild Ca n Follow I nst r u ct ions

Lik e , “ Go Pick U p Your Sh oe s”

Likel y achieved by

1-2 years

70% think a c hild can do this by age 2

70% of whites

68% of Hispanics

72% of African Americans

(28)

Most childr en develop t he capacit y t o follow basic inst r uct ions such as, “ go pick up y our shoes” bet w een ages one and t w o. A m aj or it y of par ent s ( 59% ) under st and t his.

Ver y few par ent s ( 11% ) expect childr en t o be capable of follow ing basic inst r uct ions at a younger age.

How ever , a significant pr opor t ion of par ent s ( 29% ) do not t hink childr en ar e capable of t his unt il t hey ar e older t han age t w o.

35%

52%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

0-6 m o 7-12 mo 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs Older

Child Ca n Be Toile t Tr a in e d

Li kel y achieved by

2-3 years

93% think a child can do this by age 3

41% think a child can do this by age 2

35% of whites

49% of Hispanics

54% of African Americans

Most U.S. child developm ent exper t s agr ee t hat developm ent ally, it is appr opr iat e for childr en t o be t oilet t r ained bet w een ages t w o and t hr ee. While half of par ent s expect young childr en t o achieve t his m ilest one w it hin t his t im e fr am e, m or e t han four in 10 par ent s expect childr en t o be t oilet t r ained at a younger age, w it h 35% believing t his occur s bet w een one and t w o year s, and 6% believing a child is capable of being t oilet t r ained by age one.

Afr ican- Am er ican and Hispanic par ent s ar e m or e likely t han t heir w hit e count er par t s t o believe t hat a child can be t oilet t r ained at an ear lier age, w it h 54% of Afr ican- Am er ican and 49% of Hispanic par ent s believing t hat t his sk ill is achiev able by age t w o, com par ed w it h 35% of w hit e par ent s.

Look in g t o t h e fu t u r e : sch ool r e a din e ss.

When par ent s ar e asked t o t hink int o t he not - so- dist ant fut ur e and ident ify t he qualit ies and skills t hey believe t o be m ost im por t ant t o pr epar e t heir young child for kinder gar t en, a r ange of opinions em er ges.

(29)

Pe r spe ct iv e s On Pr e pa r ing

Childr en For Kinde r gar t e n

One/Two Most Important Skills for Child Entering Kindergarten to Have

All Parents

46% 44% 36% 25% 16% 14% Plays well with others,

Curious, likes to learn Respects adults

Can sit still, pay attention Knows most of alphabet Can separate easily from parents

Whites 48% 47% 37% 23% 14% 14%

African Americans

34% 30% 38% 30% 25% 14%

Hispanics 45% 39% 32% 30% 17% 12%

Playing w ell w it h ot her childr en and shar ing, and being cur ious and liking t o lear n ar e view ed as t op qualit ies or skills by m ost par ent s acr oss m ost differ ent dem ogr aphic gr oups—m ot her s and fat her s, college- educat ed par ent s and par ent s w it h a high school degr ee or less educat ion, and par ent s under age 25 and t hose age 40 and over , j ust t o nam e a few .

(30)

V I . Th r e e V ign e t t e s: Pa r e n t s’ I n t e r pr e t a t ion s Of Ch ild’s Be h a v ior

An d H ow Th e y W ou ld Re a ct

Anot her obj ect ive of t he r esear ch w as t o explor e how par ent s int er pr et cer t ain challenging behavior s and how t hey w ould r eact t o t hat behavior . To t his end, par ent s w er e pr esent ed w it h a num ber of vignet t es br iefly descr ibing com m on sit uat ions t hat a par ent m ay exper ience w it h a young child. Aft er each descr ipt ion, par ent s w er e asked how t hey w ould m ost likely r eact t o t he sit uat ion and w hy t hey t hink t he child is behaving in t he m anner descr ibed. I n gener al, par ent s dem onst r at e a solid under st anding of t he under ly ing cause of a r ange of behavior s and m ost r epor t an appr opr iat e r esponse t o t he challenging behavior . Few differ ences exist am ong subgr oups.

V ign e t t e 1

An 1 8- m o n th - ol d is p la yin g w i t h a pu zzle w i t h a pa ren t . Th e t od d le r can ’t f ig u re ou t ho w i t fi t s t o ge t h er, g et s u p se t, st art s t o cr y, an d t h row s t h e p ieces; on e p iece h it s t he p ar en t .

Acknowledge child’s frustra-tio n an d firmly tell him/her that throwing isn’t allowed

Distract child with another activity

Hold child or offer comforter, like blanket/pacifier

Scold and put child in timeout Swat or s pank child on hand or bottom

Offer child a favorite food

78%

10%

3% 2%

Child is frustrated becau se he/she can’t do pu zzle

Child isn’t old enough to control his/her emotions Child wants attention Child is ac ting spoiled Child is angry at and trying to hurt parent

73%

18%

6% 2% 0%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

A lar ge m aj or it y of par ent s ( 78% ) say t hey w ould acknow ledge t he child’s fr ust r at ion and fir m ly t ell t he t oddler t hat t hr ow ing is not allow ed; a r esponse t hat child developm ent ex per t s deem appr opr iat e.

Hispanic par ent s ( 14% ) and par ent s w ho im m igr at ed t o t he Unit ed St at es ( 17% ) ar e slight ly m or e likely t han par ent s over all ( 10% ) t o dist r act t he t oddler w it h anot her act iv it y .

Near ly t hr ee in four par ent s say t hat t he t oddler is act ing t his w ay because he or she is fr ust r at ed about not being able t o do t he puzzle. The second m ost fr equent ly cit ed r eason is t hat t he t oddler is not old enough t o cont r ol his or her em ot ions ( 18% ) . Again, child developm ent ex per t s agr ee t hat t hese ar e lik ely causes of such behavior .

(31)

V ign e t t e 2

A 1 4 -m o nt h -o ld ha s b ee n to ld rep ea te dl y n ot t o cli mb st airs becau se it isn’ t saf e. He / she so me ti m es st op s w h en t o ld to do so , b u t of te n clim b s th e st airs w h en p are nt s tu rn a w ay.

Put up a bab y gate

Stop child from climbing and explain that climbing isn’t safe

Distract child with another activity

Put child in a timeout Swat or spank child on hand or bottom

Offer child a favorite food

53%

17%

15%

7% 6%

Child is curious Child is excited about learning to climb

Child isn’t old enough to k now how to stop doing what he/she wants to do Child wants attention Child doesn’t respect his/her parents Child is acting spoiled

54% 28%

10%

4% 1%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

A solid m aj or it y of par ent s r epor t a r eact ion t o t his behavior t hat child developm ent exper t s deem appr opr iat e. Just over half of all par ent s ( 53% ) w ould addr ess t his behav ior by put t ing up a baby gat e.

The next m ost fr equent r esponse is t o st op t he t oddler fr om clim bing and explain t hat clim bing is not safe ( 17% ) . Cer t ain gr oups r epor t t hat t hey w ould r eact in t his m anner at higher r at es, including t he follow ing:

Men ( 21% ) com par ed t o w om en ( 15% )

Fir st - t im e par ent s ( 20% ) com par ed t o par ent s w ho have m ult iple childr en ( 15% )

Afr ican- Am er ican ( 21% ) and Hispanic ( 22% ) par ent s com par ed t o w hit e par ent s ( 15% )

Anot her 15% of par ent s say t hat t hey w ould dist r act t he child w it h anot her act iv it y .

Par ent s for w hom fait h or r eligion is a m aj or influence on t heir appr oach t o par ent ing ( 11% ) and Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s ( 12% ) ar e t w ice as likely as all par ent s ( 6% ) t o say t hat t hey w ould sw at or spank t he t oddler on t he hand or bot t om .

Most par ent s ( 54% ) believe t hat t he child cont inues t o clim b t he st air s because t he child is cur ious, w hile anot her 28% of par ent s t hink it is because t he child is excit ed about lear ning t o clim b; bot h r easons t hat m ost exper t s w ould agr ee ar e likely causes of such behavior for a 14- m ont h old child.

(32)

V ign e t t e 3

A 2 ½ - ye ar -o ld sit s al on e w at ch in g ot h er ch i ld ren pl ay. W he n h is/ he r p a ren t e n co u rag es t h e ch il d t o pl ay w it h o t h ers, he / sh e h o ld s ba ck an d t r ies t o h id e be h in d t he p a ren t .

Take child’s hand and lead him/her over to the other children

Continue to encourage child to play with o thers

Stop encouraging child to play with others

Leave area so child can’t hide behind you

Scold c hild for not playing with the others

55%

36%

Child is shy

Child is afraid of other children

Child is too young to play with others Child is unfriendly Child does n’t want to cooperate with parent Child is ac ting spoiled

83%

1% 1%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

Most par ent s ( 55% ) w ould r espond t o t his sit uat ion by leading t heir child over t o t he ot her childr en and m or e t han one- t hir d of par ent s ( 36% ) w ould cont inue encour aging t he child t o play w it h t he ot her childr en. These r esponses ar e fair ly consist ent acr oss all subgr oups, and com por t w it h w hat child dev elopm ent exper t s w ould deem appr opr iat e r esponses t o such behavior .

A lar ge m aj or it y of par ent s ( 83% ) believe t hat t he child is not playing w it h t he ot her childr en because he or she is shy and appr oxim at ely one in 10 believes t hat t he child is afr aid of t he ot her childr en. Again, r easons t hat child developm ent exper t s w ould cit e as likely explanat ions for such behavior .

(33)

I m plica t ion s

This sur vey am ong par ent s of childr en fr om bir t h t o 36 m ont hs pr ov ides a w ealt h of infor m at ion t hat helps us bet t er under st and t he sit uat ions par ent s face t oday, t heir know ledge and aw ar eness of fact or s t hat influence child developm ent , w her e t hey t ur n for infor m at ion on par ent ing, and t heir appr oaches t o par ent ing and t he fact or s t hat influence it . Findings fr om t his r esear ch t hat can help infor m t he im por t ant w or k of ZERO TO THREE ar e out lined her e.

Pa r e n t s n e e d gr e a t e r u n de r st a n din g a bou t t h e im por t a n ce of e x pe r ie n ce s t h a t fost e r h e a lt h y de v e lopm e n t .

While par ent s for t he m ost par t have a solid under st anding of m any of t he exper iences t hat ar e im por t ant for fost er ing healt hy social, em ot ional, and cognit ive developm ent of young childr en, t her e st ill is w or k t o be done.

Vir t ually all par ent s under st and t he value and im por t ance of r eading t o young childr en. How ever , par ent s could benefit fr om infor m at ion about t he im por t ance of r eading and t alking t o ver y young babies and new bor ns, as r oughly one- quar t er of par ent s do not consider t hese exper iences t o have a st r ong or m aj or influence on babies’ healt hy developm ent .

Gener ally, par ent s ar e less aw ar e of t he im por t ance of t he exper iences t hat fost er social and em ot ional developm ent t han t hose t hat influence cognit ive developm ent . Ther efor e, educat ional effor t s per t aining t o social- em ot ional developm ent could pr ov e helpful t o par ent s of young childr en.

Per spect ives var y on t he im por t ance of a r ange of exper iences in fost er ing social and em ot ional developm ent ( e.g., set t ing and enfor cing r ules, com for t ing a child w hen upset , encour aging a child) based on r acial, et hnic, and cult ur al back gr ounds. This point s t o t he need for a br oader dialogue w it h diver se com m unit ies t o bet t er under st and par ent s’ per spect ives on t hese issues. This w ill ult im at ely help pr ofessionals m or e effect ively par t ner w it h par ent gr oups and ot her pr ofessionals t o suppor t ear ly social and em ot ional developm ent t hat incor por at es cult ur e and r eflect s t his r ange of differ ent view s and per spect ives.

Fat her s could benefit fr om educat ional effor t s t hat ar e specifically

t ar get ed t o t hem t o incr ease t heir under st anding of t he kinds of exper iences t hat pr om ot e healt hy ear ly developm ent .

Pa r e n t s n e e d m or e in for m a t ion a bou t w h e n y ou n g ch ildr e n a r e ca pa ble of r e a ch in g ce r t a in de v e lopm e n t a l m ile st on e s.

A significant pr opor t ion of par ent s hold m isconcept ions r egar ding w hen young childr en ar e capable of r eaching cer t ain dev elopm ent al m ilest ones. Gener ally , par ent s dem onst r at e less under st anding of w hen childr en ar e capable of r eaching em ot ional m ilest ones t han cognit ive or physical ones.

(34)

A significant m aj or it y of par ent s do not under st and w hen babies r each cer t ain em ot ional m ilest ones ( e.g., exper iencing feelings like sadness and fear and being capable of feeling good or bad about t hem selves.) Wit hout t he aw ar eness of how deeply affect ed babies and t oddler s ar e by t heir ear liest ex per iences, par ent s m ay not be as sensit ive and r esponsive dur ing t heir int er act ions w it h t heir y oung childr en. Resear ch show s t hat t his is especially concer ning w hen a child has suffer ed a significant loss, such as a pr olonged separ at ion fr om a par ent , or t r aum a, such as exposur e t o dom est ic violence or being vict im ized by neglect or abuse. Bot h par ent s and childr en could benefit fr om effor t s t o educat e par ent s about w hen young childr en ar e likely t o achieve var ious developm ent al m ilest ones.

Given t hat t her e ar e differ ent expect at ions for w hen young childr en can achieve cer t ain developm ent al m ilest ones am ong differ ent r acial and et hnic gr oups, educat ional effor t s and com m unicat ion st r at egies should be designed w it h cult ur al consider at ions in m ind.

Ou t r e a ch a n d com m u n ica t ion t o p a r e n t s of y ou n g ch ildr e n sh ou ld go be y on d t r a dit ion a l sou r ce s.

The st udy findings offer num er ous w ays t o infor m out r each and com m unicat ion effor t s t o par ent s of y oung childr en.

Par ent ing m agazines and Web sit es ar e t he sour ces t hat par ent s t ur n t o m ost fr equent ly and t her efor e ar e likely t o be an effect ive out let t o pr ovide educat ional infor m at ion.

Ot her out let s em er ge as valued infor m at ion sour ces t hat can help ZERO TO THREE t ar get com m unicat ion t o specific gr oups:

o Par ent ing books and TV pr ogr am s ar e likely t o be effect ive sour ces for com m unicat ing w it h Hispanic and Afr ican- Am er ican par ent s, as t hey t ur n t o t hese sour ces at high r at es.

o Online sour ces including Web sit es, blogs, chat r oom s, and social

net w or king sit es ar e good w ays t o r each Hispanic and younger par ent s.

o Pr ofessionals ar e a good sour ce of infor m at ion for Afr ican- Am er ican and Hispanic par ent s, as w ell as y ounger par ent s.

Fin din gs r e ga r din g fa ct or s t h a t in flu e n ce a ppr oa ch e s t o pa r e n t in g a lso h a v e im por t a n t im plica t ion s for ou t r e a ch a n d com m u n ica t ion e ffor t s a n d oppor t u n it ie s.

Fait h and r eligion hav e a pow er ful im pact on how m any par ent s appr oach par ent ing. This point s t o t he need for pr ofessionals t o look beyond t r adit ional par t ner s t o differ ent k inds of ent it ies and or ganizat ions such as chur ches and fait h- based or ganizat ions t o r each par ent s of young childr en or help pr ovide t hem w it h infor m at ion, suppor t , and r esour ces.

(35)

Fam ily is an im por t ant r esour ce for m any par ent s of young childr en. Given t hat so m any par ent s t ur n t o ot her fam ily m em ber s—especially t heir m ot her s—as a sour ce of childr ear ing infor m at ion and for child car e, t apping int o ext ended fam ily as anot her t ar get audience in educat ional com m unicat ion likely w ill pr ovide an im por t ant avenue for r eaching par ent s.

Fam ily hist or y and cult ur e ar e pow er ful influences on t he appr oach m any par ent s t ake t o childr ear ing. Developing cult ur ally appr opr iat e and sensit ive educat ional m at er ials is cr it ical.

(1)

V I . Th r e e V ign e t t e s: Pa r e n t s’ I n t e r pr e t a t ion s Of Ch ild’s Be h a v ior

An d H ow Th e y W ou ld Re a ct

V ign e t t e 1

Acknowledge child’s frustra-tio n an d firmly tell him/her that throwing isn’t allowed Distract child with another activity

Hold child or offer comforter, like blanket/pacifier

Scold and put child in timeout Swat or s pank child on hand or bottom

Offer child a favorite food

78%

10%

3% 2%

Child is frustrated becau se he/she can’t do pu zzle Child isn’t old enough to control his/her emotions Child wants attention Child is ac ting spoiled Child is angry at and trying to hurt parent

73%

18%

6% 2% 0%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

(2)

V ign e t t e 2

Put up a bab y gate Stop child from climbing and explain that climbing isn’t safe

Distract child with another activity

Put child in a timeout Swat or spank child on hand or bottom

Offer child a favorite food

53% 17%

15%

7% 6%

Child is curious Child is excited about learning to climb Child isn’t old enough to k now how to stop doing what he/she wants to do Child wants attention Child doesn’t respect his/her parents Child is acting spoiled

54% 28%

10%

4% 1%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

Men ( 21% ) com par ed t o w om en ( 15% )

Fir st - t im e par ent s ( 20% ) com par ed t o par ent s w ho have m ult iple childr en ( 15% )

Afr ican- Am er ican ( 21% ) and Hispanic ( 22% ) par ent s com par ed t o w hit e par ent s ( 15% )

Anot her 15% of par ent s say t hat t hey w ould dist r act t he child w it h anot her act iv it y .

(3)

V ign e t t e 3

Take child’s hand and lead him/her over to the other children

Continue to encourage child to play with o thers Stop encouraging child to play with others

Leave area so child can’t hide behind you

Scold c hild for not playing with the others

55%

36%

Child is shy Child is afraid of other children

Child is too young to play with others Child is unfriendly Child does n’t want to cooperate with parent Child is ac ting spoiled

83% 9%

1% 1%

How would you react? Why is the child

behaving this way?

(4)

I m plica t ion s

Pa r e n t s n e e d gr e a t e r u n de r st a n din g a bou t t h e im por t a n ce of e x pe r ie n ce s t h a t fost e r h e a lt h y de v e lopm e n t .

Fat her s could benefit fr om educat ional effor t s t hat ar e specifically t ar get ed t o t hem t o incr ease t heir under st anding of t he kinds of exper iences t hat pr om ot e healt hy ear ly developm ent .

Pa r e n t s n e e d m or e in for m a t ion a bou t w h e n y ou n g ch ildr e n a r e ca pa ble of r e a ch in g ce r t a in de v e lopm e n t a l m ile st on e s.

(5)

Ou t r e a ch a n d com m u n ica t ion t o p a r e n t s of y ou n g ch ildr e n sh ou ld go be y on d t r a dit ion a l sou r ce s.

The st udy findings offer num er ous w ays t o infor m out r each and com m unicat ion effor t s t o par ent s of y oung childr en.

Ot her out let s em er ge as valued infor m at ion sour ces t hat can help ZERO TO THREE t ar get com m unicat ion t o specific gr oups:

o Online sour ces including Web sit es, blogs, chat r oom s, and social

net w or king sit es ar e good w ays t o r each Hispanic and younger par ent s.

o Pr ofessionals ar e a good sour ce of infor m at ion for Afr ican- Am er ican and Hispanic par ent s, as w ell as y ounger par ent s.

(6)