A study of 72 fathers found that family environment has a limited effect on men's self-esteem and it predicts only three aspects of job satisfaction, possibly because of men's limited involvement in the family and feeling that their role in the family is as provider and disciplinarian. (JOW)

A study involving 48 hearing mothers and their 2-year-old children with and without hearing impairments found mothers with children with hearing impairments touched each other more and that, unlike hearing dyads, the presence of material hostility was related to a decrease in the number of maternal and child touches. (Contains references.)…

Examines the relation between social support and psychosocial adjustment in children of men with hemophilia. Results, based on 53 families, indicate that the impact of illness, not the severity of illness itself, related to children's psychosocial adjustment. Main effects were observed for parental support on child- and parent-reported…

Investigated gendered dimensions of parental involvement in charter schools, analyzing how parent-teacher interactions were reframed in the context of school choice. Overall, in a context where parents must both produce and consume new educational programs, parents involved in ongoing charter schools may be seen as stepping out of their roles as…

Investigated stability over time and consistency across contexts in the interactive behaviors of infants and their mothers during play and bath sessions. Found responsiveness was a highly stable and consistent personal style; mothers' expression of positive affect was more time-dependent than an enduring quality; and maternal directiveness was the…

Surveys 32 men between the ages of 16-30 who have not yet fathered a child to explore how they envision fatherhood. Interpretative analyses yielded two interrelated substantive dimensions: fatherhood readiness and fathering visions. Provides theoretical themes for understanding the dimensions, and discusses how these dimensions inform…

Ninth-grade girls (n=157) rated their own experience of menarche and answered 4 open-ended questions. Responses suggested several ways that early preparation could be revised, and supported a conceptualization of menstrual education as a long-term, continuous process, beginning well before menarche and continuing long after. (JPS)

Discusses ways staff can involve parents in all aspects of the Head Start experience. Staff training programs developed by the Head Start Research Group focus on relationship building, empowerment and cultural sensitivity. A two-day workshop for all staff and the creation of an ongoing peer group for social services and parent involvement staff…

Describes the history and development of parent cooperative preschools in 20th-century America. Traces the beginnings of the movement, the opening of the first American cooperative in 1915, and subsequent characteristics of cooperatives. Notes that throughout the century, cooperative preschools provided direct parental contribution, involvement,…

This study identified students with dependent care responsibilities and assessed their characteristics, the stresses they experience, and ways they juggle child care, work, and study. Responses to phone interviews conducted periodically from entry into university until graduation indicated that students struggle constantly to fulfill their roles…

Discusses the parental challenge of helping children say good-bye to a terminally ill loved one. Describes children's understanding of death and the grieving process. Provides suggestions for helping children, including letting children decide about visits to the hospital, expressing one's own feelings, encouraging questions, and returning to…

Examines the experience of the family arrangement in which fathers choose to stay at home as the primary caregiver while their wives provide the family's income. Results indicate that couples choose this arrangement for both practical and philosophical reasons and that these couples are sharing more responsibilities than couples have…

Although high schools routinely invite parents to attend informational meetings and conferences, few welcome them as active participants in extended, engaging activities. This article profiles four parent-partnership initiatives in southern California; Gwinnett County, Georgia; Vermont; and Dallas, Texas. Sharing perspectives, not power, was…

This study examined the development of maternal roles in seven mothers of medically fragile, premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of an urban, teaching hospital using data sources such as interviews, observations, and document review. Mothers gradually assumed caregiving roles of worrier, novice, learner and expert and…

Discusses the importance of father's involvement in childcare for the child's success and presents guidelines for successful fathering. Notes the difference between authoritative and authoritarian parenting. Suggest that fathers be a part of the child's day, show acceptance, use positive parenting, share parenting, and see fathering as worthwhile…