Purdue National Family Week
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: The following are story ideas on parenting for National Family
Week, which is Nov. 23-29. National Family Week is designed to recognize families
as the building blocks of society and to encourage the support of healthy family
life. The week has been observed nationally since 1970.
November 1997
More grandparents take on role as 'parents' to grandchildren
As more grandparents become primary caregivers for their grandchildren, their expanded
roles bring both joy and issues to overcome. For many, raising their grandchildren
keeps them young and active and gives them a great deal of satisfaction, says Dena
Targ, Purdue University Extension specialist in human development. However, there are
obstacles to contend with, not the least of which are the reasons the children are
living with the grandparents: divorce, unemployment, neglect, abandonment, teen-age
pregnancy or death of the parents. "A combination of social and economic problems in the
last decade has made it more difficult for parents to carry out their parental responsibilities,"
Targ says. While it's nothing new, Targ says more grandparents are raising their grandchildren. According to 1990 census data, 2.3 million children in the United
States under age 18 -- or 3.6 percent -- lived with their grandparents. By 1993, those
figures had risen to 3.4 million, or 5 percent. (To retrieve a news release on this
topic, send an e-mail message that says "send punews 9709a25" to almanac@ecn.purdue.edu
or visit the PurdueNews Web site at https://www.purdue.edu/uns) CONTACT: Targ, (765)
494-2937; e-mail, targd@cfs.purdue.edu
Parents play a major role in developing children's self-concept
A 5-year-old child already has developed about 80 percent of his or her self-concept,
says Janet Gordon, a Purdue University Cooperative Extension specialist in consumer
and family sciences. So parents play a big role in the development of how their children view themselves. "Parents often get hung up on tasks," Gordon says. They measure
a child's success by developmental stages, such as when the child starts walking
or talking. "More attention should focus on how a child feels about himself or herself,"
she says. Positive discipline, communication and interaction all help contribute to
the development of a positive self-concept. According to Judy Myers-Walls, Purdue
associate professor of child development and family studies, one way to improve self-concept is by helping children set reasonable goals, so they can celebrate small successes.
She says goals should be individual, based on past performance, and have an end in
sight. Children also should be encouraged to praise themselves and others. CONTACTS:
Gordon, (765) 494-8252; Myers-Walls, (765) 494-2959; e-mail, myerswal@cfs.purdue.edu
Elementary students and parents find a Purdue link to learning
When Purdue University researchers asked parents what concerned them about their children,
the overwhelming response was that they worried about how their children would cope
with a future of new technologies, a global economy and rapid change. Out of that concern, Purdue developed the Links to Learning program to improve children's problem-solving
skills, which are key to adapting in a changing environment. The program educates
parents about how the family contributes to children's learning by emphasizing the use of parent-child conversations and activities. Links to Learning is offered
at elementary schools across Indiana and elsewhere in the nation. Research studies
point to the elementary school years as a key time to support the role of parents
in children's learning, says Douglas Powell, head of Purdue's Department of Child Development
and Family Studies. "We found that as a result of Links to Learning, parents were
engaging in more conversations with their children about school-related topics, they
were more involved with their children's daily routines, and they strongly believed that
good study habits and parental involvement were important contributions to children's
academic achievement," he says. (To retrieve a news release on this topic, send an
e-mail message that says "send punews 9703f6" to almanac@ecn.purdue.edu or visit the
PurdueNews Web site at https://www.purdue.edu/uns) CONTACT: Powell (765) 494-9511;
e-mail, powelld@cdfs.cfs.purdue.edu
Parenting a teen requires great balance
It seems that children can turn into teen-agers almost overnight. When they do, moms
and dads may need to change their parenting strategies, says the head of Purdue University's
Department of Child Development and Family Studies. Douglas Powell says teen-agers want recognition of their growing autonomy and may rebel strongly against any
signs that parents still view them as youngsters. "However, setting limits is still
a good thing for parents to do during the teen-age years," Powell says. Communication
may be the key to striking the balance in those years between childhood and becoming
an adult. "It's important to acknowledge the feelings and ideas of children at all
ages," Powell says. "Teen-agers especially are working through a lot of issues regarding
their identity and peer group." He says listening is important, even when it's not convenient.
CONTACT: Powell, (765) 494-9511; e-mail, powelld@cdfs.cfs.purdue.edu
Compiled by Beth Forbes, (765) 494-9723; e-mail, beth_forbes@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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