 Nature of the parents’ relationship or an absent parent  Having a particularly soft or strict parent  Number of children in the family  Personalities of family members  A chronically sick or disabled child within the family  Events which have affected family members, such as an affair, divorce, trauma, death, unemployment

 Family values, culture and ethnicity, including beliefs  About gender roles, parenting practices, power or status of family members  Other issues such as family violence, abuse, alcohol or other drug use, mental health difficulties, other disability  Broader systems- social, economic, political including

 Authoritative Parenting › Attempts to direct the child’s activities but in a rational, issue-oriented manner  Leads to children with:  Lively and happy disposition  Self-confident about ability to master tasks  Well developed emotion regulation

 Authoritarian Parenting  Attempts to shape, control and evaluate the behavior and attitudes of the child in accordance with a set standard of conduct, usually an absolute standard, theologically motivated and formulated by a higher authority  Leads to children with: › Anxious, withdrawn, and unhappy disposition › Poor reactions to frustration › Do well in school › Not likely to engage in antisocial activities

 Permissive Parenting › Attempts to behave in a non-punitive, acceptant, and affirmative manner towards the child’s impulses, desires, and actions.  Leads to children with:  Poor emotion regulation  Rebellious and defiant when desires are challenged  Low persistence to challenging tasks  Antisocial behaviors

 60% of American children live with married biological parents  25% of American children live in single parent families (depends on ethnic background)  40% of all children will experience parental divorce before reaching adulthood

 History taking – a few examples… › Physical and Mental Health › History of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)  Observation of family: › Compassion › Interaction between family members › Respect for family members (interruption, etc.) › Cohesiveness › Hierarchy – roles within the family

 Questions to Ask: A few examples › What are the communication patterns during conflicts?  What happens then? How did you react? Do you always react that way? › Has your family endured traumatic events? How has the family reacted, adapted to these events?

 The authoritative parenting style leads to children with which of the following characteristics?  A. Poor reactions to frustration  B.Antisocial behavior  C.Happy disposition  D. Defiant attitudes

 The authoritarian parenting style leads to children with which of the following characteristics?  A. Self-confidence  B.Antisocial behavior  C.Happy disposition  D. Unhappy disposition

 The permissive parenting style leads to children with which of the following characteristics?  A. Self-confidence  B.Antisocial behavior  C.Happy disposition  D. Unhappy disposition

 With which parenting style do parents attempt to shape and control their children ?  A. Authoritative  B.Authoritarian  C.Permissive

 With which parenting style do parents guide the child’s activities in a rational manner ?  A. Authoritative  B.Authoritarian  C.Permissive

 McBride, J.L. (2004). Managing Family Dynamics, Family Practice Management, 11, 70.  Baumrind, D. (1966). Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavior, Child Development, 37(4),  Jesuit Social Services. (2008). Family Dynamics. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from ynamics.htm. ynamics.htm  Fadem, B. (2004). Behavioral Sciences in Medicine. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.  Amato, P. (2000). The Consequences of Divorce on Adults and Children. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 62, No. 4., pp