No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1994. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-180).

This investigation was concerned with the goals parents set for their children, the child-rearing methods parents use to instill their goals in the child, and the behavioral and personality characteristics of the child. To measure these dimensions, participation was solicited from parents who had children enrolled in the North Texas State University Laboratory School.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the birth order differences in perception of parental child-rearing practices in one-and two-sibling families. The two-sibling families were separated into all the possible sex permutations (male-male, female-female, male-female, female-male) to assess the influence of sex of sibling in viewing the parents' child-rearing practices.

No description available.

Includes a sample questionnaire in pocket.

Contemporary parenting strategies tend to involve parent-child interactions in which the parent neither repressively dominates the child nor follows a permissive laissez-faire course but respects the child's dignity as a person. This paper integrates several current theories of parenting and parent education into the construct of "respectful parenting," which is a new construct developed in this study. Family research suggests that such parenting is associated with the well-being of the child, including prosocial behavior, positive academic behavior, and physical, social, and emotional development. This study tests two hypotheses: (a) that respectful parenting facilitates effective family problem-solving practices, and (b) that family problem-solving skills learned in the family facilitate a child's success outside the family in school and with peers. In addressing these hypotheses key variables were measured, using instruments developed both in previous research and as part of this project. The study controlled for relevant background variables, including family income, education of parents, gender of child, and family size. Eighty-two families with two biological-parents, of which Forty-two had male target children and forty female target children, were subjects in this study. Each target child also had at least one sibling. Data was collected through questionnaires and observations of video-recorded family problem-solving sessions. The results strongly confirmed the first hypothesis: respectful parenting positively affected family problem solving. Respectful parenting and family problem solving were positively associated with children's well-being outside the home through behavior with their peers. Evidence for effects on performance at school was marginal. Also important to this study was the finding that family problem solving has mediating effects between respectful parenting and outcome in children's behavior in terms of peer relationships. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-157).

While research indicates that children reared in households headed by lesbian parents are no more likely to be teased or bullied than children from other households, lesbian mothers feel it is necessary to socialize their children as if they were. Twenty lesbian mothers with at least one child between the ages of eight months and 17 years old from the central Texas area were selected for this study. The mothers came from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and diverse socioeconomic statuses. This study was qualitative in nature, using primarily grounded theory methods. The mothers were interviewed using a semi-structured format regarding their socialization strategies. Themes emerging from the interviews were that mothers went to great lengths to secure parenthood. They engaged in both direct and indirect socialization strategies. They considered their children to be members of the gay community and emphasized contact with 'families like theirs.' They felt that their families were normal yet possessed some distinct advantages and had some unique concerns. Finally, they had egalitarian relationships in terms of the division of paid labor, household tasks, and childcare, with a focus on spending the most amount of time possible with their children. Racial and ethnic socialization literature was used as a framework for this study. The similarity between participant's responses and racial and ethnic socialization theory led to the development of a model of "Alternative Family Socialization." Similar to racial or ethnic socialization, "Alternative Family Socialization" involves preparing minority children to thrive in the majority culture. Mothers stated that they prepare their children for bias by encouraging them to take pride in their family, accessing support from the gay community, encouraging the development of positive self-concepts, encouraging open communication, and teaching them how to access support. Future directions for research include further development of the model of "Alternative Family Socialization" such as how this model might explain gay men rearing children. Also future research focusing on how children of lesbian parents perceive themselves within the gay community is suggested. / text