SSW105: Human Development

"Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids" Trailer

Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids - CBC - Links to full documentary. 

Have American Parents Got It All Backwards?

Gross-Loh, C. (2013). Huffington Post. Video. 

How foetuses learn language

By Jane O'Brien BBC News, Washington

Sleeping babies respond to angry voices

Futurity, (2013). 

Yelling Doesn't Help, May Harm Adolescents, Study Finds

Parent Herald, (2013). 

Most parents who yell at their adolescent children wouldn't dream of physically punishing their teens. Yet their use of harsh verbal discipline-defined as shouting, cursing, or using insults-may be just as detrimental to the long-term well-being of adolescents.

That's the main finding of a new study led by Ming-Te Wang, assistant professor of psychology in education in the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education and of psychology in Pitt's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. The results were published online today in the journal Child Development.

The paper, coauthored by Sarah Kenny, a graduate student in the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, concludes that, rather than minimizing problematic behavior in adolescents, the use of harsh verbal discipline may in fact aggravate it. The researchers found that adolescents who had experienced harsh verbal discipline suffered from increased levels of depressive symptoms, and were more likely to demonstrate behavioral problems such as vandalism or antisocial and aggressive behavior.

The study is one of the first to indicate that harsh verbal discipline from parents can be damaging to developing adolescents.

Neglect may be as harmful as physical and emotional abuse, according to new systematic review

The Mental Elf, (2013). 

A Nation of Wimps

Marano, H.E. (2004). Psychology Today.

Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, parental hyper-concern has the net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down in record numbers.

10 Scientific Tips For Raising Happy Kids

Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer (2012).

Four Tips To Building Self Esteem In Children

Direnfeld, G. (2013). Social Work Helper. 

These four ingredients, valuing, competency, good deeds, and structure form the basic building blocks for the development of self esteem.  And why develop self-esteem in children? Children with a healthy self-esteem feel good about themselves, relate well to others, behave more appropriately and are more aware of the world around them.

1.  Show them you value them

2.  Teach them and let them learn

3.  Participate in doing good deeds

4.  Make the rules of life clear