Parent role models greatly influence the development of young children's attitudes toward physical activity and sports, and eventually their level of competence and confidence. Physical educators can work with parents to provide a healthy and inviting introduction to sports. Twelve tips for parents are included. (IAH)

Examines the influence of significant others on continuing involvement in sport by 376 female Canadian secondary school students. Finds that the socializing influence of parents and peers accounted for 11 percent of the variance in intramural activity, 20 percent of the variance in interschool sport, and 10 percent of the variance in…

Relations between children's ability to apply gender labels, their tendency to sex-typed behavior, and their parents' attitudes and reactions toward sex-typed behaviors were studied. (PCB)

Examined student activism concerning the Persian Gulf War. Results showed that students' reports of their parents' activities during the Vietnam War were strongly associated with students' activism. Other correlates included attitudes toward war, political consciousness, authoritarianism, and gender-role ideology. Parents' prowar attitudes had no…

Parents influence children's achievement through verbal and nonverbal communication of their expectations about education, participating in school activities, and helping with homework. Family variables such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parenting style affect the nature and degree of involvement. (SK)

Analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth revealed that being foreign-born negatively affected the high school graduation rate of Mexican Americans but not that of Puerto Ricans. Among U.S.-born Mexican Americans, those with immigrant parents had higher educational attainment than those with U.S.-born parents. Contains 30…

Examined the words used by 20 mothers and 20 nonmothers to describe the writing and drawing products of preschool children. Found that mothers were more likely than nonmothers to identify the products using the same label as the child, but found no difference between the groups in the use of the terms "writing" and "drawing"…

The results of this study support and expand upon previous research indicating that adolescent drug and alcohol use is greatly affected by family factors: adolescents who abstain from drug and alcohol use and abuse come from families who are qualitatively different from the families of adolescents who use and abuse substances. (Author/LKS)

Interviews with 34 Appalachian residents indicated that those with high school education or less had unfavorable work attitudes; those with college or vocational training considered work rewarding and fulfilling. All were concerned about children's careers and about guiding children into appropriate vocations. (SK)

The interactive model of synchrony in early parent-child relationships has suggested that a mutual and responsive interaction between the child and the caretaker is essential to the child's development of secure attachment, sense of autonomy, and social competence. A lifespan view of development allows the concept of synchrony to be extended to…

Presents results of three studies as they relate to family influence on adolescents' sex lives. The studies' results support the hypothesis that the family has a substantial influence on adolescents' sexual and contraceptive behavior, justifying the incorporation of such issues as parent-child communication into sex education programs. (RJM)

A study of 3-5 year olds in child care focused on the children's real and pretend aggression, rough-and-tumble play, and nonaggressive pretend play. Results suggest that toy gun play and parental punishment are positively associated with a high level of real aggression but not of pretend aggression. (LB)

A potential role of parents is that of a mentor for their child. As mentors, parents provide a stimulating environment for learning, establish patterns conducive to learning, serve as role models, teach or locate the "right" teacher, provide support and encouragement, and share talents and interests. (JDD)

Describes a variant on parentese involving parent's use of irregular and unpredictable grammar, compares it to parentese directed toward normal learners, relates it to patterns of parentese observed in other families, particularly parents of children with handicaps, and deduces its function. (10 references) (GLR)

Examined infant crying and resistant behavior in response to requests to clean up toys. Infants' irritability and outbursts peaked at 18-24 months. Although crying was a relatively rare phenomenon in the third year, resistance behavior was common. Decreases in crying may be linked to acquisition of language. (BG)