This section includes
research, programs, publications, general information and links on
parenting (including fathering, single parenting step-parenting, and
more), marriage and couple relationships, work/life integration, divorce,
family stress and other related topics.
Parenting
A
Historical Perspective on Fatherhood and Parenting
For hundreds of
generations, child rearing has been the shared responsibility of both
of the biological parents of their children. While the dichotomization
of gender roles may have existed in many cultures, that has not generally
excluded fathers from parenting roles and responsibilities, which
might be defined as teaching, nurturing, supporting, communicating,
disciplining and caring for their offspring.
A
Strong Father Presence: Eighteen Messages for Children
Robert Bly has
said that one of the greatest problems in American society is the
absence of strong fathers. This is true for millions of children whose
fathers are either physically, emotionally, or spiritually absent.
Love and guidance from a Dad, while no more valuable than the same
from a Mom., is different- Strong, loving, nurturing mate role models
teach sons what it means to be a man, and teach daughters what they
have a right to expect from boys and men.
How
Dads Can Run a Tight Ship
Dads in the 1990's
are faced with many decisions about raising their children. The world
of child rearing is more difficult and scary than when most of them
were growing up. There are gangs and violent crime, deadly sexually
- transmitted diseases, and a climate of anti-authoritarianism. There
is a strong message about being tolerant, gentle and accepting of
one's children. But along with that can come a lax discipline style
with minimal structure. Since the 1960's, there has been an increase
in anti-authority feelings in America. We have learned that presidents,
lawmakers, police and clergy cannot always be trusted. Father's, rather
than "knowing best", are portrayed on television as defuses,
i.e. Homer Simpson and Al Bundy. We have just recently emerged from
an era of "do your own thing". The challenge for the 1990's
is to combine love with limits, freedom with structure, love with
toughness.
Raising
the Standards for Good Fathering.
A paper by Glen
F. Palm,Professor, Child and Family Studies, St. Cloud State University,
St. Cloud, Minnesota
What
Makes Parent Education Programs Work?
These days parent
education programs and classes are offered in schools, community centers,
social service agencies, businesses, and congregations. Indeed, almost
anyone can easily get involved with some kind of family education.
Speech
to the Child Abuse Prevention Symposium, University of Minnesota,
November 30, 1995.
Theresa Reid,
Executive Director, the American Professional Society on the Abuse
of Children.
When my friend
and longtime colleague Ann Ahlquist asked me to speak today she asked
me address the question, "Where are we now? Are we better or
worse?" I wanted to know, "Better or worse than what?"
but Ann decided to put me to the real test and leave that up to me!
VIEWS:Summer
1995
Views is published
by the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children and
the Minnesota Council on Family Relations
Grasping
A Slippery Concept: Overindulgence
Series of articles
based on overindulgence research by Drs. David Bredehoft, Concordia
University, St. Paul, Minn., author Jeanne Illsley Clark and Dr. Connie
Dawson.
Adventures
in Parenting
Adventures in
Parenting , parenting booklet from the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD). Based on decades of scientific
research on parenting, Adventures in Parenting gives parents the tools
they need to make their own decisions about parenting. Also includes
real-world examples and stories about how some parents use Adventures
in Parenting in their own daily parenting activities.
National
Parenting Education Network
The National Parenting
Education Network (NPEN) is committed to advancing the field of parenting
education. This site is designed primarily for professional parent
educators.
National
Extension Parent Education Model Of Critical Parenting Practices
A comprehensive
parenting education model/framework developed by the National Cooperative
Extension System.
Me
and My Dad: Strengthening Relationships Between Dads and Kids
A very practical
resource site for dads, prepared by the Iowa State Extension Service.
Includes developmental guidelines, activities, parenting together
and at a distance, and many other research-based resources.
Father’s
Activities With Their Kids
This June, 2001
Research Brief from Child Trends brings together data from multiple
sources to report on the involvement of fathers in their children’s
lives in four key areas: general activities, school activities, limit
setting and religious activities. Link opens directly to report, which
is a PDF file.
Connect
For Kids
Connect for Kids,
a project of the Benton Foundation, provides resources for parents,
grandparents, educators, policymakers and others—on parenting
and many other family topics.
Parenting
Resources from the National Cooperative Extension System
Resources on parent/child
relationships. Most have been developed by faculty in the Extension
Service nationwide.
http://www.cyfernet.mes.umn.edu/parent/education.html
Links to a variety
of resources for parents and parent educators. Most have been developed
by faculty in the Extension Service nationwide.
National
Fatherhood Initiative
A non-profit,
non-sectarian, non-partisan organization, the National Fatherhood
Initiative’s mission is to improve the well-being of children
by increasing the number of children growing up with involved, committed,
and responsible fathers in their lives.
Ten
Steps Toward Successful Stepparenting
Fact sheet prepared
by the Ohio State University Extension Service.
Child
Care Use In Minnesota: Statewide Survey of Households
A survey of nearly
2,500 families provides a detailed account of formal and informal
child care arrangements for Minnesota children, from infants through
age 14. Covers issues such as quality, affordability, availability,
and work-related concerns. The survey, conducted in 1999, includes
a detailed child care "diary" for the entire previous week.
Full report or summary can be downloaded.
Staff
Recruitment And Retention In Early Childhood Care And Education And
School-Age Care
Staff turnover
is a serious but not insurmountable problem among Minnesota child
care providers, according to this statewide survey of providers. Dissatisfaction
with pay is the most commonly reported reason for staff leaving. Pay
and benefits are lowest in programs that rely primarily on parent
fees. For family child care providers, burnout is the most common
reason for leaving the business. The study concludes with possible
strategies for reducing staff turnover,including both financial and
non-financial strategies.
Parents'
Views On Child Care And Child Care Assistance In The First Year Of
Statewide Welfare Reform
This study for
Children's Home Society of Minnesota explores how the child care system
in Minnesota could adapt to help families become and remain self-sufficient,
and how it can remove barriers to accessing quality care for Minnesota's
children.
National
Network for Child Care
Resources related
to child care, most developed by Cooperative Extension Service faculty
nationwide.
Professional
Development Resources for Child Care Providers
Professional development
resources for child care providers, compiled by the National Cooperative
Extension Service.
The
Children of the Cost, Quality and Outcomes Study Go To School
Longitudinal study
on child care coordinated by the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill, and including several other universities. The “Cost, Quality
and Child Outcomes” study looks at the cost and quality of early
child care and early learning, and how these important factors relate
to children's development and school readiness.
The
Cost, Quality and Child Oucomes Study: A Critique
A critique of
the above study. This link goes directly to the report, which is a
PDF file.
Family Issues
National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth
The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) was established by the Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a free information service for communities, organizations, and individuals interested in developing effective strategies for supporting young people and their families.
Built to Last: Why Skills Matter for Long-Run Success in Welfare
Reform
The National Institute for Literacy, National Adult Education Professional
Development Consortium’s study addresses the issue of welfare
recipients’ typically low annual earnings and modest salary
growth based on low skill levels and lack of educational credentials
inherent in low-wage jobs.
Families
and Work Institute
Families and Work
Institute is a non-profit center for research that provides data to
inform decision-making on the changing workplace, changing family
and changing community. Founded in 1989, FWI is known for ahead of
the curve, non-partisan research into emerging work-life issues; for
solutions-oriented studies addressing topics of vital importance to
all sectors of society; and for fostering connections among workplaces,
families, and communities.
Family
Economics
Resource on Family
Economics from the Cooperative Extension Service nationwide.
Individual and
Family Development
Institute
For Social Research – University of Michigan
A nationally recognized
laboratory for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences.
It has advanced understanding of society and human behavior through
empirical research of broad scope and breadth.
Divorce
and Separation
Resources on divorce
and separation from the National Cooperative Extension System.
Families
Under Stress: What Makes Them Resilient?
Article by Hamilton
McCubbin and others on.family protective factors and family recovery
factors that appear to play a critical role in promoting the family's
ability to maintain its established patterns of functioning after
being challenged by risk factors and in fostering the family's ability
to recover or bounce back quickly from misfortune and family crises.
