Parenting Today's Children: A Developmental Perspective

PARENTING TODAY'S CHILDREN addresses parenting from a contemporary perspective, presenting the latest information about the multiple challenges that today's parents face, and the skills they need to be successful in their endeavors. The text presents the most current published research, and includes discussions of topics that are often missing from other available parenting books.

Rather than using a topical framework that can make it difficult for readers to grasp conceptual significance, the text employs a developmental organizational framework that fosters improved student understanding, application, and learning retention. This approach enables students and practitioners who have worked with children, as well as those who are inexperienced, to link, build, and integrate new knowledge along a progressive timeline.

Each chapter provides information that helps students to appreciate the supportive role, responsibilities, and challenges that contemporary parents encounter in their efforts to raise healthy, happy, and successful children. The developmental framework contributes to improved student understanding about the ways that parents can promote children's development across all domains and at any given age. This approach is also advantageous for students who are trying to assimilate large amounts of new information.

Each chapter includes extensive pedagogical material, including key terms, learning objectives, NAEYC standards, discussion and self-reflection questions, and field activities. This content is designed to foster student learning, information retention, and critical thinking, and to strengthen students' ability to apply parenting concepts to everyday situations.

The Trending Now feature addresses the pros and cons of contemporary, and sometimes controversial, issues that today's parents may encounter. Discussion points are supported by the latest research findings, and include questions for readers to consider. Topics include working with "helicopter" parents, the values and attitudes of Generation Y, "free-range parenting," the controversy over how much emphasis should be placed on academic skills in early childhood education programs, the developmental readiness of youth to use social media, and genetic testing for expectant mothers.

The Responsive Parenting feature provides everyday case study scenarios that strengthen and reinforce students' ability to apply effective parenting concepts to address children's challenging behaviors in positive ways.

Suggestions for Parents boxes translate chapter material into practical ideas that can be shared with parents. Topics include activities to promote cognitive and language development, teaching children social skills, and strategies to increase success of parents living with their adult children.

MindTap® Education for Parenting Today's Children represents a new approach to teaching and learning. A highly personalized, fully customizable learning platform with an integrated e-portfolio, MindTap® helps students to elevate thinking and develop the skills needed to become a reflective practitioner.