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Survey: Most Parents Don’t Know What They’re Doing
It’s safe to say that we parents have our young kids’ best interests in mind. And based on those best interests, we parent accordingly.
However, results of a national parent survey show that a majority of parents don’t have a good grasp of what exactly those best interests are, especially in the early years. For example, only 31 percent of those surveyed think 6-month-old babies experience fear or sadness. Meanwhile, a robust body of research shows that they can.
Wait, there’s more (I know, I know: sound the guilt trip alarm):
Between the ages of 3 and 5 (that’s a huge range, by the way), children begin to be able to control their emotions. In other words, they can express with words their frustration or ask for help rather than falling on the floor in a tantrum. Forty-three percent of parents, though, think children should be able to do this by the time they are 3. And 20 percent think kids should stop with the tantrums by the age of 2.
Did that just trigger a wave of guilt?
A majority of parents also think that kids can’t feel good or bad about themselves until they’re older, when studies show that they actually develop these feelings in the toddler years.
Another key finding in the survey was how mothers and fathers experienced parenting differently. Twice as many mothers as fathers thought tantrums were the big parenting challenge, while twice as many fathers as mothers though bedtime and sleeping were the big drag in having kids.
Also? Huge: fathers were less satisfied with work/life balance than mothers. Huh? That in itself merits further investigation.
For a summary of the key findings, go here. For the full report, go here.
The Zero to Three National Parenting Survey results are based on a survey of 1,615 parents from various background with children between the ages of 1 and 3. The survey was conducted in June 2009 and funded by the MetLife Foundation.
Good information or too little too late?
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Photo: scottcounseling.com
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[...] Survey: Most Parents Don’t Know What They’re Doing [...]
Listing Calories on Menus Works | Strollerderby commented on Apr 22 10 at 3:25 pm[...] outrageous thing you’ve made with your breast milk? Me? A warm bottle for my son. More Posts Survey: Most Parents Don’t Know What They’re [...]
The Growing Menu of Breast Milk Edibles | Strollerderby commented on Apr 22 10 at 5:35 pm[...] in spite of Madeline’s awesomely headlined blog post (Survey: Most Parents Don’t Know What They’re Doing) I really hate being told what to do. And, finally, there are all of the aforementioned factors [...]
So When’s Turn ON Your TV Week? | Strollerderby commented on Apr 23 10 at 8:31 amBetsy commented on Apr 22 10 at 3:43 pmThis is fascinating. Am I the only one who thinks so? I remember being so relieved to learn that kids weren’t capable of understanding “sharing” until they were close to five. This was a major load off. “Help, my toddler wont’ share his shovel in the sandbox. What am I doing wrong?”
GtothemfckinP commented on Apr 22 10 at 6:11 pmI kind of knew all this…from my mom and from a belief in the “third trimester”…moreover, just treating children…and babies like they are *people*…HUMAN BEINGS. Of course, a six month old can be afraid or sad. I’m pretty damn sure they are both when they are left to cry it out or placed into daycare the first time! (Of course, in a daycare with a kind, attentive caregiver, they can learn to be OK…but STILL)…geesh!
GtothemfckinP commented on Apr 22 10 at 7:35 pmsorry…meant to say “fourth trimester”, you know getting the baby used to life outside GENTLY
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Apr 22 10 at 8:06 pmObviously the survey didn’t consult the one parent who knows everything…
jenny tries too hard commented on Apr 23 10 at 1:38 pmThe grass is green, the sky is blue, water is wet, and everyone else is doing it WRONG!
Yeah, it’s a babble post and the accompanying comment…
Rosana commented on Apr 23 10 at 2:05 pmI kind of knew this too because I read like crazy while I was pregnant. I you are right GtothemfckinP, interacting with them like they are human beings makes things easier because you can understand what is going on with them.
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