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Stage-related behavioural problems in the 1-4 year old child: parental expectations in a child development unit
1Child Development Unit, Hamilton, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Parents of preschool children with behavioral issues often have unrealistic expectations for their child's behavior. Addressing these mismatched expectations through counseling can help align parental views with developmental stages.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Parenting Research
Background:
- Behavioral problems are a frequent reason for health service referrals in preschool children (ages 1-4).
- Understanding parental expectations is crucial for addressing these behavioral issues effectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the expectations of parents with children referred for behavioral problems against a control group.
- To identify specific areas where parental expectations may be unrealistic.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was used to assess parental expectations regarding preschool children's behavior.
- Parents of children presenting to a child development unit were compared with a control group of parents.
Main Results:
- Parents of children with behavioral problems rated their children's behaviors as more difficult.
- These parents held unrealistic expectations, particularly concerning 'negative' behaviors like disobedience and defiance.
- However, they could anticipate some age-appropriate difficulties, such as sharing issues and jealousy.
Conclusions:
- Parental expectations often do not align with the developmental realities of preschool children experiencing behavioral problems.
- Counseling interventions should focus on harmonizing parental expectations with individual child development rates.
Abstract:
Behavioural problems in preschool (1-4 years) children are a common cause of referral to health services. Parents of children presenting to the child development unit with behavioural problems (n = 18) were compared with a control group (n = 45). A questionnaire was utilized to examine the parents' expectations of the children's behaviours. As might be expected, the parents of children presenting to the Unit rated their children as having more difficult behaviours. These parents had unrealistic expectations, particularly for the 'negative' behaviours (disobedience, temper tantrums, defiance and whinging). However, they were able to anticipate normal age-related difficulties in some problem areas (dawdling during mealtimes, masturbating, not sharing toys and being jealous of one's siblings). Counselling should address the issue of matching the expectations of parents with the individual rates of development of their children.