Analyze parenting expectations and responsibilities.

Analysis should include

  • fulfilling the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs of children
  • nurturing children
  • ensuring that children have the best possible environment for development
  • promoting children’s moral development
  • studying brain development theories
  • describing parenting practices that support brain development
  • teaching children about their heritage and culture
  • teaching parents and children to take care of themselves (e.g., developing self-help and functional skills, promoting independence)
  • identifying strategies for sharing parenting responsibilities
  • identifying barriers to balancing care of self and care of children
  • identifying strategies for balancing care of self and care of children. 

Process/Skill Questions

Thinking

  • How do people decide they are ready to have children?
  • What factors influence their decision?
  • How do parents show unconditional love for their children at different stages of development?
  • What are some activities through which parents support children's intellectual development from infancy to adolescence?
  • What community resources are available to assist parents with parenting expectations and responsibilities?

Communication

  • How do parents teach children about their heritage and culture?
  • What are some ways to help a child develop self-esteem? What communication techniques are helpful? What resources are available to teach children about self-esteem?
  • How can technology promote intellectual development?
  • What are the benefits of children's use of technology?
  • What are the risks of children’s use of technology?
  • How can a parent’s use of technology affect the family?

Leadership

  • Who is responsible for setting and enforcing rules of behavior in your family?
  • What rules of behavior do you envision setting for your future children? Why do children need rules?
  • What can happen to a child's moral development when parents set a good example? What can happen when parents fail to set a good example?
  • What are some strategies that parents can use to cope with the frustrations of parenting?

Management

  • What management skills are essential to meet a child's physical needs?
  • What are some ways to teach parents and children to take care of themselves?
  • How does the relationship between parents and children change as children grow more independent?
  • What management skills are essential for the parents of a child with special needs?