Working with Families

What do you remember about your family’s involvement in school? Share with a partner your memories of parent conferences, school fairs, social events, class parties, etc…. How did that make you feel at the time?

Understanding Families What are families like? What issues do families face? Family Systems Theory

What are Families like? Single-parent families Fathers Multigenerational families Grandparents as parents Linguistically diverse families Teenage parents Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) families Military families Incarcerated parents

What are families like?

What are families like?

Issues facing families: Poverty 16.1 million children in the United States (22% of all children) live in below the federal poverty level ($23,550/year for a family of 4) 32.4 million children live in low-income families ($44,700/year for a family of 4)

Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 Released July 2016 Written by the Committee on Supporting the Parents of Young Children, Board on Children, Youth and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Effective Parenting Practices Research-based practices associated with positive child outcomes in physical development, emotional, behavioral, social, and cognitive competence Contingent responsiveness Showing warmth and sensitivity Routines and reduced household chaos Shared book reading and talking to children Practices that promote children’s health and safety Appropriate use (less-harsh) discipline

Elements of Effective Interventions to Support Parenting Viewing parents as equal partners in determining the types of services that would most benefit them and their children Tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of families Integrating services and collaborating to support families with multiple service needs Creating opportunities for parents to receive support from peers to increase engagement, reduce stigma, and increase the sense of connection to other parents with similar circumstances

Elements of Effective Interventions to Support Parenting Addressing trauma, which affects a high percentage of individuals in some communities and can interfere with parenting and healthy child development Making programs culturally relevant to improve program effectiveness and participation across diverse families Enhancing efforts to involve fathers, who are underrepresented in parenting research

Understanding How Families Work

Family Systems Theory (Christian, 2006) Boundaries Roles Rules Hierarchy Climate Equilibrium

Boundaries Roles Rules Family Systems Theory Expectation for togetherness or separateness Disengaged vs. Enmeshed Understanding who is in or out of the family Boundaries Parts that individual family members play in their relationship with others Roles The standards and procedures that give directions about how to behave and relate to others Rules

Hierarchy Climate Equilibrium Family Systems Theory The determination of which family members have decision-making power within the family Hierarchy The emotional and physical environment of the family Climate The amount of stability or consistency offered by the family Equilibrium

Family Systems Theory: Working with Families Considering Boundaries Recognize different parenting styles and boundaries Recognize that for some families, everything is a family affair Balance children’s activities and curriculum to incorporate both individual and group identities Respect families’ need for control Considering Roles Give children ample opportunity for role play, both in structured and unstructured situations Observe children carefully… are the “problems” really the child acting out their role in the family? Help families recognize their children’s many and varied strengths

Family Systems Theory: Working with Families Considering Rules Make distinctions between home rules and center/school rules Watch for unspoken rules Ask for families’ input and assistance when conflict arises over rules Considering Hierarchy Engage in careful observation Who returns calls? How does the child role play? Note the signs a family’s hierarchy is in the process of changing Watch out for hierarchies emerging in the classroom and on the playground

Family Systems Theory: Working with Families Considering Climate Provide opportunities for families to discuss their beliefs about children Create a classroom climate of safety, positive feedback and guidelines, and healthy sensory experiences Considering Equilibrium Consider inviting a trained family professional to facilitate discussion when a big change or issue is impacting a number of families (e.g., changes in resources) Provide as much consistency as possible, especially when you are aware of changes within a family

Involving Parents & Families Home Visitation Family Conferences Children and Conferences Technology Email Teacher website Twitter Video chat Teacher-parent blog