UW Early Learning Conference: Parenting to Promote Child Well-being
WChild and Family Well-being
CCFCenter for
Department of Psychology
UW Early Learning Conference: Parenting to Promote Child Well-being
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UW Early Learning Conference: Parenting to Promote Child Well-being
10:00 Nature and Nurturing: Parenting with Children's Temperament Styles in Mind - Liliana Lengua
11:00 Strategies That Work: How to Promote Children's Best Behavior and Effectively Manage the Less-than-Best - Suzanne Kerns
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Emotion Coaching Can Facilitate Children's Well-being - Lynn Fainsilber-Katz
2:00 Mindfulness: Cultivating Greater Awareness of Self, Children and Our Relationship with Them - Rebecca Cortes & Yaffa Maritz
3:00 Mastery Approach to Parenting in Sports: Developing Champions in Sports and in Life - Frank Smoll
4:00 Networking and Questions
Liliana J. LenguaCenter for Child & Family Well-being
Department of PsychologyUniversity of Washington
Nature & Nurturing: Parenting with Your Child’s Temperament Style in Mind
What is Temperament? Children respond differently to parenting. Parents respond differently to their children. What works best with which kids?
Child Temperament
Individual differences in emotional reactions & regulation of emotions
Physiologically based
Inherited (genetically based)
Formed by experience
Present at birth, but changes over time
Child Temperament Models that are very broad:
“Difficult Temperament” “Spirited Child”
Models that are very specific: Inhibited/uninhibited Sensation seeking
Threat or Challenge
Fight or Flight
Nonemergency
Recover, Rest & Digest
Autonomic Nervous System
Parasympathetic System Sympathetic System
Behavioral InhibitionSystem:WithdrawalSelf-protectionFear
Threat or Challenge
Fight or Flight
Nonemergency
Recover, Rest & Digest
Autonomic Nervous System
Parasympathetic System Sympathetic System
Behavioral ActivationSystem:ApproachDesireFrustration
BAS BIS
BAS>BIS
fun
new friends
chargeplan
careful
strangers
rejectionopportunity
thrill
threat
cautionexcitement
assessattack
seekguidance
ignoreinstructions
BAS<BIS
fun
new friends
chargeplan
careful
strangers
rejectionopportunity
thrill
threat
cautionexcitement
assessattack
seekguidance
ignoreinstructions
BAS>BIS vs. BAS<BIS Approach Reward oriented Impulsive“Go, pursue, obtain.”
Pleasure, delight, hope
Easily frustrated & angry
Inhibited Threat oriented Cautious,Withdrawn“Stop, look, listen, &
be careful.”
Easily frightened or anxious
Individual differences in: Reactivity
Frustration/anger (BAS) Impulsivity (BAS) Fearfulness (BIS)
Regulation Ability to recover Effortful Control
Physiological Model of Temperament
Easily Frustrated Children (BAS)
“It’s time to leave.”“No! I don’t want to.”
“Please don’t make this difficult!”
“You’re so mean!”
“Why is it always like this with you!”
Frustrated, Angry (BAS) Children respond differently to parents:
Quick to anger, argumentative. More oppositional and aggressive.
Parents respond differently to children: Increasing harsh, negative & frustrated
responses. Decreasing consistency and reasoning.
What works best? Build positive, warm relationship. Be calm! Don’t engage with anger. Be consistent: predictability helps.
Impulsive Children (BAS)
“Let’s stick together & stay on the path.”
“Hey, the rule is you have to stay on the path!”
“Come back here! I asked you to stay close!”
“That’s not safe. You need to stop now!”
Impulsive (BAS) Children respond differently to parents:
Don’t seem to remember or learn from previous experience; don’t seem to listen. More likely to be “disobedient” or get in problem situations. More responsive to positive, reward than negative, punishment.
Parents respond differently to children: Increasing harsh, negative & frustrated responses. Decreasing consistency and reasoning.
What works best? Build positive, warm relationship. Be calm but quick! Have a cue or code word for “stop”. Be consistent: predictability helps.
“Do you want to join the party or stay here with me?”
“You’re in! Get in there now! No backing out and no crying!”
Fearful, Inhibited Children (BIS)
Fearful, Inhibited (BIS) Children respond differently to parents:
Concerned about parents displeasure or anger. More compliant and cooperative
Unless they are afraid or nervous… Until they are pre-adolescents/adolesents…
Parents respond differently to children: More sensitive, responsive, and warm Over-protectiveness or solicitousness sustains child fear Harsh or insensitive parenting increases anxiety, depression,
and oppositional behaviors What works best?
Balance of sensitivity and encouraging independence. Gentle encouragement of feared activities or contexts.
Summary
Temperament is individual differences in reactivity & self-regulation: Fearful/anxious Frustration Impulsivity Recovery Effortful Control
Physiologically based Inherited Formed by experience
Summary
Easily frustrated and impulsive children: Build positive relationship Be consistent Clear expectations and contingencies Parents - Stop, calm down and think!
Fearful, anxious children: Balance warmth and sensitivity with
encouraging independence
Colleagues:Mark Greenberg, Phil Fisher,Craig Colder
Graduate Students:Nicki Bush, Lara Embry, Stephanie Fengler, Cara Kiff, Erika Kovacs, Anna Long, Lyndsey Moran, Connie Meza, Anika Trancik, Maureen Zalewski
Funding:NICHD (R01 NICHD (R01 HD054465), NIMH (R29 MH57703), UW Center for Mind, Brain & Learning-Talaris Research Institute, & the UW Royalties Research Fund
Acknowledgements
“Temperament Lab” at Home