Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories
Option 1-
While working in the current childcare facility as a 3 year old early childcare educator, the students and parents in my class were asked to participate in a study lead by the Psychology the Early Childhood Development Studies Departments of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. These professors and students were interested in the ways young children were affected by the influences of adults both in and out of the home and in places they were not familiar with. Researcher found that children used their parents’ reactions when trying something new. For example if a parent looked worried or nervous then the child would hesitate and not want to participate in the activity or the game for the day, but if the parent was happy and encouraged the child to do their best, then it made it a little easier for the child wanting to participate in the activity. Many of times the child would look at the adult’ facial expressions when making an important decision, to determine their own choice during an experiment, or game lead by the researcher. Parents benefited from the research by learning how to react to all situations in a calmly manner. They were also taught how to act and stay calm in most situations, as well as how not to impose or jump into and comment on a child’s reaction until they ask for assistance. These studies provided parents an opportunity to teach their children how to become independent and to begin with making choices/decisions on their own.
