Parenting and Child Development
“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. “
-John Wilmot
Why is it important to be a knowledgeable parent?
Young children develop quickly and it can be difficult for parents to keep up with all the changes that are happening. Despite this, being an expert on your child is an important part of parenting. When a parent has a good understanding of normal child development they are better equipped to discipline fairly, know when to seek help if development is not happening, and feel more confident about their skills.
A lack of parenting skills and knowledge of development can lead to poorly adjusted children, frustrated parents or even child abuse and neglect. Fortunately, all parents are capable of learning more about effective parenting and child rearing.
Tips for Parents on Parenting and Child Development:
Click on the following links to download printable parent tip sheets on parenting and child development:
Parenting and Child Development Resources:
The four links below are trusted websites that can be used to find information on a variety of topics. For information about how to find accurate sources and how we chose these sites visit our Trusted Sources page.
Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer
Tufts University Child and Family WebGuide
KidsHealth
University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development
http://www.education.pitt.edu/ocd/family/parentingguides.aspx
The following links will take you away from the PCAT Parents website. Each page we link to has been evaluated for accuracy, but links found on those pages have not.
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Categories:
Discipline
Divorce and Single Parenting
Fatherhood
Learning and Education
Milestones
Social and Emotional Development
Discipline:
Alabama Cooperative Extension System – Am I Spoiling My Child?
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0718/
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Children and Lying
http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+and+Lying§ion=Facts+for+Families
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Children Who Steal
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_who_steal
Center for Evidence-Based Practice – Solutions for Families
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/positive_solutions_for_families.pdf
Iowa State University Extension – Temper Tantrums
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1529J.pdf
Iowa State University Extension – Sibling Rivalry
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1529I.pdf
University of Illinois Cooperative Extension – What is Developmentally Appropriate?
http://www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/child/newsarticles/FCC532.html
Washington State University Extension – Children: Guidance and Discipline
Ohio State University Extension – Discipline and Your Child
http://ohioline.osu.edu/bb-fact/pdf/bb_k_5.pdf
University of Maine Cooperative Extension – The Ages and Stages Approach
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4140.htm
Divorce and Single Parenting:
Montana State University Extension Service – Building Strong Single-Parent Families
http://msuextension.org/publications/HomeHealthandFamily/MT200110HR.pdf
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/providerparent/Family-Child%20Relationships/EffectDivorce.htm
National Network for Child Care – Divorce Matters: Coping with Stress and Change
http://www.nncc.org/Parent/copestress.html
National Network for Child Care – Divorce Matters: A Child’s View
http://www.nncc.org/Parent/childview.html
KidsHealth – Tips for Divorcing Parents
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/divorce.html
KidsHealth – Helping Your Child Through A Divorce
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/help_child_divorce.html
KidsHealth – Becoming a Stepparent
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/stepparent.html
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension – Single Parenting: Building Strong Families
http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Parent/SPpubs/s_strgfam.pdf
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension – Parenting Alone Common Questions
http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Parent/SPpubs/s_quest.pdf
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension – Co-Parenting After Divorce
http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Parent/SPpubs/s_share.pdf
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension – You Are a Family
http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Parent/SPpubs/s_fam.pdf
Find additional resources from University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension here: http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Parent/PARSP.htm
Fatherhood:
KidsHealth – Becoming a Father
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/father.html
KidsHealth – A Guide for First Time Parents
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/home/guide_parents.html?tracking=P_RelatedArticle
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse – Fathers and Education
http://www.fatherhood.gov/father/fathers_education.cfm#one
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse – Father Absence
http://www.fatherhood.gov/father/father_absence.cfm
National Fatherhood Initiative – 10 Ways to Be a Better Dad
http://www.fatherhood.org/10ways.asp
The National Long Distance Relationship Building Institute – 20 Long Distance Activities for Dads at a Distance
http://www.fambooks.com/daads/fathering.html
Texas Office of the Attorney General – Maps for Dads: A Guide to Taking Care of Your New Baby
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/AG_Publications/pdfs/maps.pdf
Learning and Education:
American Association of Pediatrics – Literacy Toolkit
University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences – Building Baby’s Brain: Learning Languages
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FACS01-6.html
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension – Communicating with Your Baby through Play
Birth – 3 months: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cy/other/fs9208.pdf
3-6 months: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cy/other/fs9209.pdf
6-9 months: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cy/other/fs9210.pdf
9-12 months: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cy/other/fs9211.pdf
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension – Creating Reading Readiness
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/pdf/CHFDE19-20%20ReadingReadiness.pdf
Ohio State University Extension – Get Off to A Good Start
http://ohioline.osu.edu/bb-fact/pdf/bb_k_1.pdf
GreatSchools.Net – What is an IEP?
http://www.greatschools.net/LD/school-learning/what-is-an-iep.gs?content=513
InfoPlease.Com – Homework Center
http://www.infoplease.com/homework/
National Education Association – Summer Home Learning Recipes
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Recipes/index.html
University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences – Building Baby’s Brain: The Role of Music
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FACS01-7.html
National Network for Child Care – Activities for Infants
http://www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/dc24_activities.infant.html
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension – 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/Units/Workbooks/101KidsBusy/101KidsBusy.pdf
KidsHealth – Help Your Child Get Organized
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/child_organized.html
Milestones:
University of Michigan Health System – Your Child: Developmental Milestones
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/devmile.htm
Pathways Awareness Foundation – Physical Development Milestones
http://www.aap.org/family/2004PAFBrochure.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Developmental Milestones
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
Tumblon.Com – Milestones
Social and Emotional Development:
PBS Parents – Social and Emotional Development
http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/social.html
Zero to Three – Helping Your Toddler Develop Empathy
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_social_empathy&AddInterest=1503
Zero to Three – Responding to Uncomfortable Questions
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_language_comments&AddInterest=1503
Zero to Three – Common Toddler Fears
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_social_fearsfaqs&AddInterest=1503
Zero to Three – Raising a Thankful Child
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_social_thankful&AddInterest=1503
Zero to Three – Social-Emotional Development From Birth to Three
Birth – 1 year: http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/ffn_-_socemot_-_012_-_par.pdf?docID=6661&AddInterest=1503
1 – 2 years: http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/ffn_-_socemot_-_12to24_-_parents.pdf?docID=6662&AddInterest=1503
2 – 3 years: http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/ffn_-_socemot_-_24to36_-_parents.pdf?docID=6663&AddInterest=1503
American Academy of Pediatrics – Understanding Your Child’s Temperament
http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Temperament.htm
American Academy of Pediatrics – Supporting Your Child’s Self-Esteem
