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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Incorporate research-based knowledge in parenting tool-kit

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

Physiological Model of Temperament

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

Effortful Control

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 Children (BAS)

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

Questions from the audience?