P
P
a
a
r
r
e
e
n
n
t
t
i
i
n
n
g
g
I
I
n
n
f
f
a
a
n
n
t
t
s
s
A
A
n
n
d
d
T
T
o
o
d
d
d
d
l
l
e
e
r
r
s
s
T
T
o
o
d
d
a
a
y
y
R
R
e
e
s
s
e
e
a
a
r
r
c
c
h
h
F
F
i
i
n
n
d
d
i
i
n
n
g
g
s
s
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
T
T
a
a
b
b
l
l
e
e
O
O
f
f
C
C
o
o
n
n
t
t
e
e
n
n
t
t
s
s
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
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 on- line 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 on- line 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 on- line 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 on- line 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 .
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
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,
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.
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 .
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.
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
1
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?
2
Mot her s and fat her s have differ ent per cept ions of w hat t hey find
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.
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% )
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
In your day-to-day life, to whom do you usually turn forSou 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.
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
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.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 hanHispanic ( 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 orinfluence) , 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.
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,
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
Est ablishing r out ines ( 79% ) , 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)St r on g Un d e r st a nd in g Of Ex pe r ie n ce s
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
93% say they regularly talk to their infant or young child and feel comf ort able doing so.
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% )
Teaching coor dinat ion or m ot or sk ills ( i.e., dancing, exer cise) ( 5% )
Teaching social skills and m anner s ( 5% )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 %
1%
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 sbet 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.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,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.0%
6%
35%
52%
6%
0%
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.
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,
shares
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%
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
How would you react? Why is the child
V ign e t t e 2
How would you react? Why is the child
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%
5%
1%
1%
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%
2%
1% 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 .
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 specificallyt 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 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.
