CHP 8: families

Which is the best parenting style?

authoritative parenting. - balance between control and autonomy. have independence and rules, limits, and guidance they need - family discussion helps adolescents to understand social relationships and requirements for being a socially competent person - more receptive to parental influence due to a warm parental involvement

Blended/complex family

both parents bring children from previous marriages to live in the newly formed stepfamily

Step father

mothers typically was granted custody of the children and then remarried, introducing a stepfather into her children's lives

Secure attachment

positive, enduring emotional bond between two people - in infancy, childhood and adolescents: involves emotional bond between a child and a caregiver that benefits the child's expiration of the environment and further development - in adulthood: between caregivers and children, also between two people in a couple or marital relationship

Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Parenting

restrictive, punitive style in which the parent exhorts the adolescent to follow directions and to respect work and effort - firm limits and controls on the adolescent and allows little verbal exchange - example) "you will do it my way or else. There will be no discussion!" - ASSOCIATIONS: adolescent's socially incompetent behavior. Often anxious about social comparisons, fail to initiate activity, and have more communication skills. Linked to higher levels of externalizing problems (acting out, higher levels of aggression, and depressive symptoms)

o Judy Dunn (2015): Familiarity and intimacy of the relationship

siblings know each other very well and they can either provide support or tease and undermine each other depending on the situation

o Judy Dunn (2015): Variation in sibling relationships

some view more positively than others. Some have mixed feelings. Some warm and affectionate and others are irritating or mean.

Emotional Autonomy

the capacity to relinquish childlike dependencies on parents - in developing this, adolescents increasingly de-idealize their parents, perceive them as people rather than parental figures, and become less dependent on them fo immediate emotional support

Step mother

the father was granted custody and then remarried, introducing a stepmother into his children's lives

reciprocal socialization (bidirectional)

the process by which children and adolescents socialize parents, just as parents socialize them - the family is influencing each other - epigenetic view: development is result of ongoing, bidirectional interchange between heredity and environment EXAMPLE: parents' harsh, hostile parenting is associated with negative outcomes for adolescents (defiant and oppositional)

Multiple development trajectories

•the concept that adults follow one trajectory and children and adolescents follow another one •Trajectory= specific events; how to parent their child - Adult developmental trajectories include timing of entry into marriage, cohabitation, or parenthood - child developmental trajectories include timing of child care and entry into middle school. The timing of some family tasks and changes can be planned, such as reentry into the workforce or delaying parenthood, whereas other changes may occur unexpectedly, such as job loss or divorce

o Know the definition of boundary ambiguity

§ Makes adjustment difficult § Uncertainty in stepfamilies about who is within or outside the family and who is performing or responsible for carrying out certain tasks in the family system § Example) who is the disciplinarian, is the stepparent allowed or only the actual parent or both? § Teen may struggle with this § Harder with a blended or complex family, so adjustment period is longer, boundaries are ambiguous (equality of rules?) § This is a SMALL mean level difference across groups, teens normally adjust well

o Three types of insecure attachment classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI): Preoccupied/ambivalent attachment

§ adolescent are hyper attuned to attachment experiences. adolescence are hyper focused on this relationship because of inconsistent attachment with parents. They are attention seeking; get angry- very inconsistent on both sides · Parents are inconsistently available to the adolescent · Result in high degree of attachment-seeking behavior mixed with angry feelings · Conflict between parent and adolescent is too high for healthy development

o Three types of insecure attachment classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI): Unresolved/disorganized attachment

§ adolescent has unusually high level of fear and might be disoriented. attachment relationship/bond never formed; high level of fear or lack of trust; common in trauma and abuse · Results from traumatic experiences like parent death or abuse

o Three types of insecure attachment classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI): Dismissing/avoidant attachment-

§ individuals deemphasize the importance of attachment. avoiding others, especially those close to them; rejecting attachment bonds, continuous use results in relationship being less important and distancing · Associated with consistent experiences of rejection of attachment needs by caregivers · Possible outcome: parents and adolescents mutually distance themselves from each other, lessens parental influence

o Judy Dunn (2015): Emotional quality of the relationship

§ mixed feelings toward siblings. Both intensely positive and negative

Changes in adolescence influence parent-adolescent relationships

•Cognitive changes- adolescents are advancing, increase in logical reasoning; start questioning parents and parents see this as a conflict rather than advancement in thought. •Idealistic thought- start thinking of the idealistic parent, a good parent •Expectations- adolescents start questioning parent demands so expectation matches their development. Parent expectation •Autonomy- adolescents don't need their parents as much anymore. How does the parent respond to child hanging out with friends, ect.?

One key component of parenting in adolescence is monitoring—know that monitoring includes and what outcomes are associated

- monitoring includes supervising an adolescent's choice of social settings, activities, and friends - 3 ways parents engage in monitoring: 1. solicitation (asking questions) 2. control (disclosure rules) 3. snooping (when youth don't comply; most likely to violate youths' privacy rights; infrequent; indicator of problems in adolescent and family functioning OUTCOMES: - higher level of parental monitoring is associated with higher grades - low associated with depression - low monitoring is key in predicting developmental trajectory of delinquency and substance use in adolescence - better monitoring = lower marijuana use - lower monitoring= earlier initiation of alcohol use, binge drinking, and marijuana use in 13-14 yr olds - high monitoring and rule enforcements- later initiation of sexual intercourse and contraception use

In what ways do parents serve as managers?

Managerial role to help adolescents reach their full potential •Finds information, makes contacts, helps structure choices, provides guidance, social initiators and arrangers •Help make friends Monitoring is key. they monitor adolescents' social relationships. •Depends on the adolescent disclosing to the parent * Fufillment of manager role helps adolescents avoid pitfalls and work their way through a myriad of choices and decisions * parents regulate opportunities for adolescents' social contact with others * Moms are more likely to have this role. Example- parent-teacher conference and homework activity managment *positively related to students' grades and self-responsibility and negatively to school-related problems. IMPORTANT to maintain a structured and organized family environment (chores, bedtime, homework, etc.)

How do parents' behaviors have a direct or indirect effect on adolescents?

Several systems of families: 1. Dyadic (involving 2 people) example- father adolescent. or mother and father. 2. Polyadic (involving 2 or more people) example- mother-father-adolescent; mother and 2 siblings. ~ Organizational scheme highlights reciprocal influences of family members and subsystems: MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS, PARENTING, AND CHILD BEHAVIOR AND DEVELOPMENT. - have both direct and indirect effects on each other EXAMPLE: direct effect= influence of the parent's behavior on the adolescent EXAMPLE: indirect effect= how the relationship between spouses mediates the way a parent acts toward the adolescent. Like how marital conflict might reduce the efficiency of parenting where marital conflict has an indirect effect on adolescent's behavior. * marital satisfaction is related to good parenting, long-term, children learn from you

· Know the three types of stepfamilies

Step father Step mother Blended/complex family

parenting styles: Authoritative parenting

encourages adolescents to be independent but still places limits and controls on their actions - extensive verbal give-and-take is allowed, and parents are warm and nurturant toward the adolescent. - example) wraps arm around child in a comforting way saying, "You know you shouldn't have done that Let's talk about how you can handle the situation better next time." - ASSOCIATIONS: socially competent behavior. Self-reliant and socially responsible. Engage in more prosocial behavior. * Most effective parenting style in predicting which children and adolescents were less likely to be obese or overweight later in their development.

· Know the outcomes associated with adoption

o At higher risk for externalizing problems (aggression and conduct problems), internalizing (anxiety and depression), and attention problems (ADHD) o Higher level of mental health problems than non-adoptees o BUT majority of children and adolescents adjust effectively (across the nation) and parents report satisfaction with their decision to adopt o Parents of adopted adolescents face unique challenges: difficult transition period and open contact with birth parents/relatives (better outcome for adolescents)

· What does it mean to be a latchkey kid?

o Do not see their parents from the time they leave for school until about 6 or 7PM o Has a key to allow themselves in the home afterschool o They are unsupervised § How they handle being unsupervised? · Experiences vary: o Some grow very mature, more independent, handle responsibility o Some get in more trouble, steal, vandalize o Decline this by doing after school programs, go with another family, or facetime parents

· When we compare children raised by heterosexual parents to those raised by parents who are sexual minorities (e.g., gay, lesbian), do we find any major differences?

o Increasingly choosing parenthood through donor insemination or adoption or previous heterosexual relationship o Gay/lesbian couples shared childcare more than heterosexual couples with lesbian couples being the most supportive. o More positive parenting in adoptive gay father families and fewer child externalizing problems in these families o Few differences between children growing up with heterosexual parents and gay male or lesbian parents § Common concerns: bullying · All adolescents are bullies and none due to the fact they have gay/lesbian parents § Child becoming homosexual. No evidence! Majority are heterosexual § Positive differences! · Less stereotypes · More flexible · Easily tempered § Just as popular with their peers § No differences in school adjustment: 98% reported their children adjusted well to school

·What are the three important characteristics of sibling relationships and how are they defined?

o Judy Dunn (2015): § Emotional quality of the relationship: § Familiarity and intimacy of the relationship: § Variation in sibling relationships:

What do we know about birth order (in terms of characteristics associated with birth order)?

o Overemphasized, limited ability to predict adolescent behavior o First-borns: more intelligent § Achieving, conscientious, adult-oriented, helpful, conforming, self-control (differences are small) § Dominant role in sibling interaction, feelings of resentment that parents give preferential treatment to younger siblings. MORE STRICT § Feelings for anxious, more guilty not living up to expectations, high levels of stress and difficulty coping with stress o Later-borns: § More rebellious, liberal, and agreeable § Difficult to characterize § Better close relationships o Only child: "spoiled brats?" § No, achievement oriented and generally liked by their peers

Insecure attachment

o infants, children, and adolescents avoid the caregiver/show considerable resistance/ambivalence toward the caregiver § Related to difficulties in relationships and problems in later development; risk developing anxiety and other internalized problems

parenting styles: indulgent parenting

parents are highly involved with their adolescents but place a few demands or controls on them - allow their adolescent to do whatever they want resulting in the adolescents lack of control over their own behavior and always expect to get their way. - parents do this because they think that combining warm involvement with few restrains will produce a creative, confident adolescent - ASSOCIATED WITH: social incompetence, especially a lack of self-control

parenting styes: Neglectful parenting

parents are uninvolved in the adolescent's life. - parent can't answer if they know where their adolescent is at 10 pm. - ASSOCIATIONS: socially incompetent behavior, especially a lack of self-control, don't handle independence well - adolescents have a strong need for parents to care about them; they sense that other aspects of parents' lives are more important than they are. - lack of parent monitoring is linked with negative outcomes for adolescents.