1. The Developing Child Chapter 3 Building Strong Families
3-1: Family Characteristics
3-2: Parenting Skills

2. Qualities of Strong Families
All members feel accepted and safe
Adults and children can learn and grow together
Provide children with a sense of belonging, emotional support, nurturing, protection, and security
Give children first lessons in values and acceptable social behavior
Work together to provide for the needs of the family and prepare the children to live in society
Listen to each other with an open mind and allow each person to express opinions and share feelings
Share goals and values
Show appreciation for one another

3. Families Two Main Functions: Pass on Values
Members help meet one another’s basic needs
Families prepare children to live in society
Pass on Values
Through example
Through communication
Through religious training

4. Families Meet Basic Needs
Physical
Provide food, clothing, and shelter
Keep children safe and healthy
Care for children when they are sick
Teach safety rules
Emotional
Give and receive love, care, and help
Social
Teach how to share, take turns, and work to achieve family goals
Intellectual
Teach language and concepts
Support and get involved in learning to promote success in school

5. Types of Family Structures
Nuclear Family
Mother, father, and child(ren)
Single-Parent Family
One parent and child(ren)
Blended Family
Single parent marries another person who may or may not have children
Extended Family
A parent or parents, at least one child and other relatives who live with them

6. Joining A Family Legal Guardian Adoption Foster Child
A person may be designated to assume responsibility for raising a child if the parents are unable to
Adoption
Children may legally and permanently become part of families that they are not born into
Foster Child
Joining a family temporarily until parents solve problems or a permanent adoptive family can be found

7. The Family Life Cycle Couple Stage Expanding Stage Developing Stage
Couple works to establish a home and their marriage relationship
Expanding Stage
The couple prepares for and adjusts to parenthood
Developing Stage
As children grow, parents work to meet their changing needs and help them develop independence

8. The Family Life Cycle Launching Stage Middle Stage Retirement Stage
Children leave home. Parents help them adapt.
Middle Stage
Empty nest stage. Children have left home. The couple renews their relationship and prepares for retirement
Retirement Stage
The couple stops full-time work and adjusts to more free time

9. Trends Affecting Families
Mobility
Many adults move from the community where they were raised
Many families lack close, supportive connections with extended family
Aging Population
More people find themselves caring for aging parents

10. Trends Affecting Families
Economic Changes
Many families struggle to make ends meet
Necessary for two parents to work full time
Families are smaller than they used to be
Couples delay having children
Increased need for childcare
Workplace Changes
Continuing need to learn new skills, adults may return to school in some capacity
More unemployment

11. Trends Affecting Families
Technology
Increases efficiency in home and work
Devices isolate people from one another
Using it safely and within reasonable limits
Monitor children to make sure enough time is spent on physical development and social skills
Use it to strengthen family bonds
Make choices based on family’s values

12. Sources of Support for Families Under Stress
Talking to friends, relatives, or co-workers
Consulting family doctor, counselor, social worker, or religious advisor
Talking to caregivers, teachers, religious leaders, or school counselors
Joining a support group
Seeking help from local family service agencies

13. Spending Time Together Helps Build Strong Families
Activities together can become family traditions
Families that have many traditions tend to form strong ties with each other

14. Families Share Values
Honesty
Respect
Responsibility
Hard Work
Faith

15. Handling Conflict Stay Calm Be an active listener
Use positive body language

16. Children’s Needs Physical: Emotional & Social: Intellectual Needs:
Food, clothing, shelter, health care, and safety
Emotional & Social:
Children feel safe, loved, and cared for
Allows children to learn how to make friends and work with other people
Parents must show restraint and not be overprotective
Intellectual Needs:
Mental stimulation and opportunities to learn
Helps prepare children for life as independent adults
Senses, Reading, and Exploring

17. Deprivation
Lack of the critical needs and encouraging environment that are essential for physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being
Not the same as poverty
Children can be deprived of time, nutrients, stimulation, or love
Are the child’s basic needs being met?

18. Parenting Styles Authoritarian: Assertive-Democratic: Permissive:
Children should obey their parents without question
Responds quickly and firmly when rules are broken
Assertive-Democratic:
Children given a certain amount of independence and freedom of choice within the rules
Children learn best from accepting the results of their actions or by problem-solving with parent to find acceptable solution
Permissive:
Children have a wide range of freedom
Children may set their own rules
Rule-breaking is typically ignored

19. Guidance
Using firmness and understanding to help children learn how to behave
Learn self-discipline (ability to control their own behavior)
How to get along with others and handle feelings in an acceptable way
Develop a sense of security and self-esteem
Learn right from wrong and develop a conscience (inner sense of what’s right)

20. Encouraging Appropriate Behavior
Be a good role model
Give effective direction
Use specific words the child can understand
Begin with an action verb
Set limits
Helps child understand expectations and acceptable behavior and develop self-control
Provide positive reinforcement
Be specific
Recognize small steps
Help children take pride in their actions

21. Setting Limits
When setting limits, parents should consider the following:
Does the limit allow the child to learn, explore, and grow?
Is the limit fair and appropriate for the child’s age?
Does the limit benefit the child, or is it merely for the adult’s convenience?

22. Responding to Misbehavior
Consider the following:
Is the expected behavior appropriate, given the child’s age and development?
Does the child understand that the behavior was wrong?
Did the child do the behavior knowingly and deliberately, or was it beyond the child’s control?
When punishing a child, parents and caregivers should show that they disapprove of the behavior but that they still love the child
Avoid blame and criticism

23. Negative Reinforcement
Natural Consequences
Children suffer from the actual result of their action
Logical Consequences
Consequences have a connection to the misbehavior
Loss of Privileges
Taking away a privilege, most effective with 5+
Time-Out
Give child a chance to calm down and regain self-control

24. Poor Disciplinary Methods
Bribing
Fail to learn self-control
Making children promise to behave
Children will naturally make mistakes
Shouting or yelling
Shaming or belittling
Can make a child feel worthless
Threatening to withhold love
Create a fear of being rejected or abandoned
Exaggerating consequences
Frighten children and parent loses credibility

25. Consistency in Guidance
Helps children know what is expected of them
Without consistency, children may stop paying attention to rules
Children lose trust and confidence in caregivers who constantly change the rules or fail to enforce rules in a consistent way

26. Chapter 3 Content Vocabulary
nuclear family
single-parent family
custodial parent
blended family
extended family
legal guardian
foster child
intergenerational
deprivation
parenting style
guidance
self-discipline
conscience
positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement
time-out