Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Caring for School-Age Children Chapter 3 Families: Where Children Are Nurtured
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. The Changing Family
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Definitions of Family Nuclear: mother, family, children Extended family: nuclear family plus other relatives Single-parent: either mother or father and children
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Reconstituted or blended: remarriages that include his and/or her children plus theirs Interracial: mother and father from different ethnic groups and their children, families that include adopted children of another racial or ethnic group
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Single-gender: same-sex couples and their biological or adopted children Grandparent: only adult when both parents are deceased, incarcerated, on drugs, or otherwise unable to care for children
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Personal Reflection Which of these definitions best describes your family?
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Effect of Home Environment on Children
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Two-Parent Families Advantages: two adults share child-rearing tasks; additional income if both parents work; both parents are role models Disadvantages: when both parents work, more stress on parents, not enough time, children may feel abandoned
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Single-Parent Families Single-mother: feelings of loss, lack of child-rearing fathers, low or decreased income likely Single-father: fathers have custody of children by their own wish, children respond well to male as an authority figure, income likely to be higher
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Living with Grandparents Additional stress on the adults and children Children may have more behavior problems Children may have poorer language skills
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Reconstituted Families Economic situation improves Boys are helped by the presence of a father Father may share more in child rearing More models for children to choose from
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Interracial Families Children may have problems with self- esteem Children may be targets of discrimination Children may have problems developing their own identity
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Single-Gender Families Children may be targets of discrimination. Children may consider themselves different from schoolmates Children have more unsupervised time Children may feel neglected
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Poverty Almost 14 million children live in families whose income is considered below the poverty line.
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Children Living in Poverty Suffer from Problems Health problems: Malnutrition and disease Abuse or neglect More frequent injury or death from accidents Exposure to lead poisoning
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Academic problems: Delays in academic achievement Poorly equipped and maintained schools Large class sizes Poorly paid teachers Undermotivated teachers
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Psychological problems: Children view themselves unfavorably when compared to those they see portrayed in films or on television
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Helping Children and Their Parents
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Supporting the Bond between Parents and Children Is the Most Important Task of a Caregiver Communicate frequently with parents Help parents see their child’s behavior realistically
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Encourage parents to use their own knowledge of their children to bring about changes Recognize that parents sometimes express anger as an outlet for their own fatigue
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Accept differences in family organizations Encourage families to share their cultural and ethnic traditions
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Personal Reflection What aspects of working with families do you feel you most need to learn about?