Collection: Research - Parenting

What parent behaviours, rather than style, matter most for children’s success?

In most situations, parents know what decisions they ought to make, but some chronically make decisions they know are not beneficial for their child nor what they should do.

How screen time affects childhood development

As screen tech becomes more integrated into our lives, attempts to understand its impact on cognitive and behavioural development, particularly in children, have sparked concerns and debate. Some insights..

How different types of disadvantage impact England’s pre-school children

Disadvantage has two dimensions – economic and home disadvantage. These have different effects on later outcomes. Need to vary hours in pre-school according to disadvantage.

Confronting the toll of hook-up culture

The consequences are tangible psychological distress, embarrassment, loss of respect, distrust, difficulties with maintaining steady relationships, STDs, depression, anxiety. We need to model something different.

The first 1001 days

Children’s development in the early years sets them on a positive trajectory. Children’s development at just 22 months has been shown to predict their qualifications at 26 years.

Is the decline in children's independent activity one cause of decline in their mental well-being?

Over last 60 years, understanding has shifted from children as competent, responsible and resilient to focusing on children’s needs for supervision, protection.

The devastating effect of divorce or separation on Adverse Childhood Experiences

Individuals, communities, society pay a huge cost due to ACEs - wasted lives, premature death, anti-social behaviour, + healthcare, justice, education, social services costs.

Your toddler was born to help

Research suggests that all children are naturally helpful, and parents play a crucial role in keeping it this way. The caveat is that it has to be real help, or else it could later backfire. There are lasting benefits.

The transition to fatherhood

The birth of a child is the birth of a father. The birth of the first child marks the transition. A developmental milestone. A new phase in adult life with unfamiliar tasks and responsibilities. How are men prepared for this?

The impact of paternal positivity on child mental health

Children whose fathers showed more paternal positivity e.g. warmth were less likely to have mental health challenges. Esp. in low income communities, for girls and in middle childhood-adolescence.

An online parenting program for divorced parents

Most divorced or separated parents ask themselves, “What can I do to protect my children from the problems that often follow divorce?” An online parenting-after-divorce programme backed by research..

The expectation of fatherhood as a vocation

Without an involved father, the family cannot approach the perfection of which it is capable. We must do everything in our power to recapture, reignite, and recommit to the expectation of fatherhood as a vocation, a calling in life.

Teaching children about early child development

A pilot in 21 secondary schools with 3700 pupils aiming to embed the key principles of early child development and neuroscience. The results have the potential to improve outcomes for future generations.

Are Adverse Childhood Experiences a public health emergency?

Many studies confirm link ACEs + health outcomes - psychological and medical conditions, risky behaviours, impaired functioning. Yet we treat the conditions rather than unhealed childhood wounds.

Parents can equip children to resist harms of social media

Ensure children enter into adolescence with full tank of resilience, good sense of own self-worth, lovability, attractiveness, based on their value as human beings who we love unconditionally.

Nurturing curiosity and invention

Virtually everyone begins life with building blocks to construct new ideas. But by 5, only some are still on a path to become adept at such thinking, while most leave it farther behind. But such a fate is not inevitable.

Experiences that build resilience strengthen children who face adversities

From research evidence, a list of the top 10 types of relationships and resources that provide Protective and Compensatory Experiences that bolster children against adversity

The effect of patient evaluations for ACEs on doctor visits

Integrating ACE questions for health check-ups led to a 35% reduction in doctor visits and 11% reduction in A+E visits. That has a multi-billion dollar implications for the cost of medical care.

Positive childhood experiences have greater impact than the bad

"13% of adults with high levels of PCEs went on to experience depression and/or poor mental health as an adult. But the rate was 48% for those with fewer than 3 PCEs."

Grandparents matter: intergenerational faith development

Research found intergenerational relationships are 1 of 4 features of church life that create faith that ‘sticks’ into young adulthood. Given church demographics, grandparents have crucial role.

Being a fair parent increases your authority

If your child thinks you are fair, they obey you as they see you as legitimate authority. Harsh disciplinary strategies backfire. Instead of eliciting a healthy fear, they undermine parental legitimacy.

The vulnerability problem of the bully

Bullies lack ability to care because to care sets them up to get hurt too much - they are wounded individuals and have hardened hearts. How do we restore emotional norms?

Low-level, poorly resolved conflict between parents affects children's mental health

Damage is done not by a few instances, but by chronic interactions. Children become more sensitive to episodes which are exhausting emotionally and increase insecurity.

Research on parents and home learning during lockdown

Parents had to provide education and care at home while juggling other demands, including jobs and household chores. A study of 7000 parents on the affect on their ability to do this.

Why 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?

The ACE Study revealed certain things we've been taught not to see, speak about, ask questions about. When these are explored, one finds high prevalence, relationships to major public health problems and to life expectancy.

Family matters for student performance

Student performance cannot be understood apart from family dynamics. What should our communities and larger society be doing to help ensure that future generations of children have a stable, supportive, family life?

Strong families - flourishing children

Children living in families with higher levels of resilience and connection are much more likely to flourish. This is true across all levels of income, health status and exposure to adverse childhood experiences.

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)

Adults who report more positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are less likely to suffer from depression or poor mental health – and are more likely to have healthy relationships.

Dad - a girl’s first and most influential love

Evidence demonstrating the remarkable potential of the father-daughter relationship and the disastrous consequences for all when it is ignored.

Childhood trauma could affect the next generation

For every type of “adverse childhood event” (ACE) a parent went through, their children had 19% higher odds of poorer health and 17% higher odds of having asthma.

In our efforts to protect, are we increasing children's anxiety?

To become a confident, competent adult, should children go outside more, make their own mistakes and figure things out? Putting children in control helps them learn to solve problems, and cope better in new environments.

The value to a family of reading

Reading aloud has been found to be significantly beneficial to both children and their parents.

The power of touch

Touch sends a powerful message – it can do and say much more than words ever could.

Parents now spend twice as much time with their children as 50 years ago

With the exception of France, parents these days spend a lot more time with their offspring - especially fathers. Britain is one of the leading countries.

What makes families resilient?

Children who know a lot about their family tend to be more resilient and therefore have better chances for good outcomes when faced with challenges.

The success sequence

Divergent paths toward adulthood are associated with markedly different economic fortunes among Millennials.

Language as a child wellbeing indicator

A report on how language development in early years links to social, emotional and learning outcomes in later years.

Creating a love of reading

Research into role of mothers and fathers - different impact on development?

Becoming a trauma informed environment

Research into Adverse Childhood Experiences has meant trauma-informed practices are rising globally in schools, prisons, etc.

Adult children of divorce speak about their experiences

Not only does the pain of divorce continue into adulthood, but the suffering is not lessened even if the child experienced a 'good divorce'.

Commission on Inequality in Education

As well as factors including location, income, etc., the importance of parental engagement in education was assessed.

Dads want to succeed as fathers but parent relationship needs to be strong

There is a narrative of absent fathers who had multiple children with different women and abandoned them. However, research on those fathers offers another, more uplifting story.

Actions speak louder than words

A study shows that the more that people were exposed to faith-based actions, the higher their religiosity and the more certain they were of God’s existence.

The World Family Map 2017

Confirms family stability and marriage but it also contains some observations which run counter to media headlines. You may be surprised.

Fatherhood: the impact of fathers on children’s mental health

From pregnancy and early years through to adolescence, fathers are a major influence on a child’s emotional and behavioural health.

The 'Missing' First Year?

While parents have a general understanding that what happens in a child’s early years can last a lifetime, many don’t realize at what age babies and toddlers can begin to feel complex emotions.

Forecasting which children will cost society the most

20% of the population accounts for the lion’s share of social costs such as crime and welfare dependence as adults. Can we predict at age 3 and intervene?

We are Family: the changing face of family ministry

How is the Church working with families today? What does this ministry look like? What training and resources are available for those working in this field?

£17bn per year - the cost of late intervention

Results of research of the costs of ‘late intervention’: the acute, statutory and essential benefits and services that are required when children and young people experience significant but preventable difficulties in life.

How families are combining work and family life

Earlier this year, Working Families published their 3rd Modern Families Index - a snapshot of family life in the UK today. In particular, it focuses on how families combine work and family life.

What to expect, when?

A simple guide which takes parents of 0-5 year olds through the expectations of each age band and how they can support their children’s learning and development.

Four Styles of Parenting

Developmental psychologists have identified four parenting styles and all have different impacts on children; Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, Uninvolved. What is impact on children?

Why mindset matters

A fixed mindset believes intelligence is static which leads to children not achieving their potential. A growth mindset on the other hand believes that intelligence can be developed and leads to higher levels of achievement.

Families in Britain - 6 themes

What is daily life really like for Britain’s families? 4Children began to dig deeper into the hopes, fears and aspirations of our country’s families. Their report identified six themes

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and future health

A multi-year survey of 17000 patients looked at their health and also asked what childhood traumas they had experienced. When the doctor conducting the research first saw the results, he was stunned. “I wept,” he says.

Wide division in building good childhood foundations in high-low socio-economic families

"Social mobility begins in the home. Parenting has not received the attention it deserves. Parents provide the foundations for children’s progress in later life"

The effect of inter-parental relationships on children

The quality of the inter-parental relationship, specifically how parents communicate and relate to each other, is increasingly recognised as a primary influence on effective parenting practices and