Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T16:44:42.250Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

15 - Actively Caring for Our Children

from INTRODUCTION TO PART II - APPLICATIONS OF AC4P PRINCIPLES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2016

E. Scott Geller
Affiliation:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Angela K. Fournier
Affiliation:
Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
Kelli England Will
Affiliation:
Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk, VA
Kate Larson
Affiliation:
Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
Get access

Summary

It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.

– L. R. Knost

The applied behavioral science (ABS) principles of actively caring for people (AC4P) are critical for effective childcare. Appropriate applications of these principles can dramatically improve behavior and the way caregivers teach children healthy, prosocial behavior. Many parents and caregivers use these principles already without knowing it. Others can benefit from learning the principles and their applications.

You may already be a parent or a teacher, or plan to care for children someday. Perhaps you work as a nanny or help your family by caring for younger siblings. Many careers involve working with children (e.g., teachers, healthcare professionals, and coaches). The ABS principles can be applied to all of these situations to make the work of caring for children more effective and enjoyable for both caregiver and child.

This chapter reviews the ways ABS can be used to benefit childcare. It describes how the key principles explained in Chapter 1, which have been effectively applied to the promotion of healthy behavior in the workplace, in healthcare facilities, and in schools, can be used every day in childcare situations. In addition, the most common childcare challenges are addressed, as are specific solutions provided by ABS.

Relationships between the ABS approach and healthy development are discussed throughout this chapter in order to make salient the connection between ABS principles and AC4P behavior. We focus on early childhood, addressing specific milestones and challenges in the care of children who are 3–8 years of age. Nonetheless, the ABS principles are critical to caring for children of all ages and in all stages of their development.

It's not until age 3 that children have the cognitive ability to learn from the ABS principles discussed here. Still, behavior management is certainly an important role for parents and caregivers of children under age 3. Discipline for children under age 3 consists essentially of ignoring unwanted behavior, distracting the child, and managing the environment to prevent unwanted behavior and ensure safety. The use of ABS strategies effectively in early childhood, as soon as children are developmentally ready, can lay the foundation for continued success in the future, from middle childhood to adolescence.

Type
Chapter
Information
Applied Psychology
Actively Caring for People
, pp. 469 - 505
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Geller, E. S. (2001). The psychology of safety handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; Geller, E. S. (2002). The participation factor: How to get more people involved in occupational safety. Des Plaines, IL: American Society of Safety Engineers; Geller, E. S. (2005). People-based safety: The source. Virginia Beach, VA: Coastal Training and Technologies.
2. Geller, E. S., & Johnson, D. (2007). People-based patient safety: Enriching your culture to prevent medical error. Virginia Beach, VA: Coastal Training Technologies.
3. McCarty, S. M., & Geller, E. S. (2014). Actively caring to prevent bullying: Prompting and rewarding prosocial behavior in elementary schools. In Geller, E. S. (Ed.). Actively caring at your school: How to make it happen (2nd ed.) (pp. 177–197). Newport, VA: Make-A-Difference, LLC.
4. Peters, R. A. (1998). It's never too soon to discipline: A low-stress program that shows parents how to teach good behavior. New York: Golden Books.
5. Baumrind, D. (1989). Rearing competent children. In Damon, W. (Ed.). Child development today and tomorrow (pp. 349–378). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; Baumrind, D., Larzelere, R. E., & Owens, E. B. (2010). Effects of preschool parents’ power assertive patterns and practices on adolescent development. Parenting, Science and Practice, 10, 157–201.
6. Forgatch, M. S., & Patterson, G. R. (2010). Parent management training – Oregon model: An intervention for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents, 2, 159–178.Google Scholar
7. Webster-Stratton, C. (2001). Leader's guide, the parent and children's series: A comprehensive course divided into four programs. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
8. Sanders, M. R. (1999). Triple P-positive parenting program: Towards an empirically validated multilevel parenting and family support strategy for the prevention of behavior and emotional problems in children. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2(2), 71–90.Google Scholar
9. Dishion, T. J., & Kavanagh, K. (2005). Intervening in adolescent problem behavior: A family-centered approach. New York: Guilford Press.
10. Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New York: International Universities Press.
11. Griffin, C., & Al-Talib, N. I. (1994). Labeling effect on adolescents’ self-concept. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 38 (1), 47–57.Google Scholar
12. Kraut, R. E. (1973). Effects of social labeling on giving to charity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 9, 551–562.Google Scholar
13. Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballotine Books.
14. Tannenbaum, F. (1983). Crime and community. New York: Columbia University Press.
15. Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1992). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development (Expanded ed.). New York: Irvington Publishers.
16. Merton, R. K. (1948). The self-fulfilling prophecy. Antioch Review, 8(2), 195. doi: 10.2307/4609267.Google Scholar
17. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2013, December). Return on investments in public health: Saving lives and money(Policy Highlight Brief). Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/issue_briefs/2013/rwjf72446.
18. Gardner, F., Shaw, D. S., Dishion, T. J., & Burton, J. (2007). Randomized prevention trial for early conduct problems: Effects on proactive parenting and links to toddler disruptive behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 21 (3), 398–406.Google Scholar
19. Covington, M. V. (1992). Making the grade: A self-worth perspective on motivation and school reform. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2003). Fear of failure: Friend or foe? Australian Psychologist, 38, 31–38.
20. Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
21. Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of models’ reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of imitative response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1, 589–595.Google Scholar
22. Lau, R. R., Quadrel, M. J., & Hartman, K. A. (1990). Development and change of young adults’ preventive health beliefs and behavior: Influence from parents and peers. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 31, 240–259.Google Scholar
23. Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process. In Berkowitz, L. (Ed.). Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 10) (pp. 173–220). New York: Academic Press.
24. Damon, W., & Lerner, R. M. (Eds.) (2006). Handbook of child psychology (6th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
25. Peters, R. (1998). It's never too soon: A low-stress program that shows parents how to teach good behavior. New York: Golden Books.
26. McIntire, R. (2012). What every parent should know about raising children. Columbia, MD: Summit Crossroads Press.
27. Knox, M. (2010). On hitting children: A review of corporal punishment in the United States. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 24 (2), 103–107.Google Scholar
28. American Academy of Pediatrics. Where we stand: Spanking. Retrieved September 1, 2014, from http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Where-We-Stand-Spanking.aspx.
29. Knox, M. (2010). On hitting children: A review of corporal punishment in the United States. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 24 (2), 103–107; Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associate child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128 (4), 539–579.
30. Afifi, T. O., Mota, N. P., Dasiewicz, P., MacMillan, H. L., & Sareen, J. (2012). Physical punishment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative U.S. sample. Pediatrics, 130 (2), 1–11.Google Scholar
31. Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's, praise, and other bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
32. Kohn, A. (2001). Five reasons to stop saying “Good Job!”Young Children, 56 (5), 24–30.Google Scholar
33. Timm, M. A., Strain, P. S., & Eller, P. H. (1979). Effects of systematic, response-dependent fading and thinning procedures on the maintenance of child–child interaction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 308; Kratochwill, T. R., & Stoiber, K. C. (2000). Empirically supported interventions and school psychology. School Psychology Quarterly, 15, 233–253.
34. Strain, P. S., & Joseph, G. E. (2004). A not so good job with “Good job”: A response to Kohn 2001. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6 (1), 55–59.Google Scholar
35. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.): DSM-5. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
36. Axelrod, S., McElrath, K. K., & Wine, B. (2012). Applied behavior analysis: Autism and beyond. Behavioral Interventions, 27, 1–15.Google Scholar
37. Lord, C., Risi, S., DiLavore, P. S., Shulman, C., Thurm, A., & Pickles, A. (2006). Autism from 2 to 9 years of age. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(6), 694–701.Google Scholar
38. Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2010). 25 essential skills and strategies for the professional behavior analyst: Expert tips for maximizing consulting effectiveness. New York: Routledge; Friman, P. C. (2010). Come on in, the water is fine: Achieving mainstream relevance through integration with primary care. Behavior Analyst, 33, 19–36.
39. Satcher, D. (2000). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General – Executive summary. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31(1), 5.Google Scholar
40. Stipek, D. J., & Hoffman, J. M. (1980). Development of children's performance-related judgments. Child Development, 51, 912–914.Google Scholar
41. Geller, E. S. (Ed.) (2014). Actively caring for people: Cultivating a culture of compassion (4th ed.). Newport, VA: Make-A-Difference, LLC; Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128 (4), 539–579; Gershoff, E. T. (2013). Spanking and child development: We know enough now to stop hitting our children. Child Development Perspectives, 7 (3), 133–137.
42. MacKenzie, M. J., Nicklas, E., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Waldfogel, J. (2014). Spanking and children's externalizing behavior across the first decade of life: Evidence for a transactional process. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44, 658–659; Barkley, R. (2013). Defiant children: A clinician's manual for assessment and parent training (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
43. Barkley, R. A. (2013). Your defiant child: Eight steps to better behavior (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
44. Barkley, R. A. (1997). Defiant children: A clinician's manual for assessment and parent training (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
45. Leung, A. K. C., Marchland, V., & Suave, R. S. (2012). The ‘picky eater’: The toddler or preschooler who does not eat. Pediatric Child Health, 17(8), 455–457.Google Scholar
46. Michael, J. (1982). Distinguishing between discriminative and motivational functions of stimuli. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of behavior, 37, 149–155.Google Scholar
47. Meltzer, L. J., & Mindell, J. A. (2007). Relationship between child sleep disturbances and maternal sleep, mood, and parenting stress: A pilot study. Journal of Family Psychology, 21 (1), 67–73.Google Scholar
48. Owens, J. A. (2005). Epidemiology of sleep disorders during childhood. Sheldon, S. H., Ferber, R., & Kryger, M. H. (Eds.). Principles and practices of pediatric sleep medicine (pp. 27–33). Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders.
49. Moor, T., & Ucko, C. (1957). Night waking in early infancy: Part I. Archives of Disease in Children, 32, 333–342; Adair, R. H., & Bauchner, H. (1993). Sleep problems in childhood. Current Problems in Pediatrics, 23, 147–170.
50. American Sleep Association. Children and sleep. Retrieved September 15, 2014, from http://www.sleepassociation.org/patients-general-public/children-and-sleep/.
51. Thiedke, C. C. (2001). Sleep disorders and sleep problems in childhood. American Family Physician, 63 (2), 277–284.Google Scholar
52. Mindell, J. A., Meltzer, L. J., Carskadon, M. A., & Chervin, R. D. (2009). Developmental aspects of sleep hygiene: Findings from the 2004 national sleep foundation sleep in America poll. Sleep Medicine, 10(7), 771–779.Google Scholar
53. Ferber, R. (1985). Solve your child's sleep problems. New York: Simon &Schuster.
54. Mindell, J. A., Huhn, B., Lewin, D. S., Meltzer, L. J., & Sadeh, A. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Pediatric Sleep, 29(10), 1263.Google Scholar
55. Hauri, P. (1977). Current concepts: The sleep disorders. Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn.
56. Lacks, P., & Rotert, M. (1986). Knowledge and practice of sleep hygiene techniques in insomniacs and good sleepers. Behavior Research & Therapy, 24, 365–368.Google Scholar
57. Azrin, N. H., & Foxx, R. M. (1989). Toilet training in less than a day. New York: Pocket Books.
58. Gorski, P. A. (1999). Toilet training guidelines: Parents – the role of parents in toilet training. Pediatrics, 103, 362–363.Google Scholar
59. Azrin, N. H., & Foxx, R. M. (1973). Dry pants: A rapid method of toilet training children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 11(4), 435–442; Kaerts, N., Van Hal, G., Vermandel, A., & Wyndaele, J. J. (2012). Readiness signs used to define the proper moment to start toilet training: A review of the literature. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 31(4), 437–440.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×