NCJ Number
204787
Date Published
2004
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This CD-ROM discusses parenting skills for single parent families.
Abstract
The problems common to single parent families in dealing with children are described. Support for this group is very important. The skills discussed for dealing with young children, teenagers, and children in foster and residential care are active listening, assertive discipline, job compliance, consequences, consistency, contracting, problem solving, “I” statements, role modeling behavior, school/home monitoring, and praise. Scenarios are shown with parents interacting with their young children. Among these scenarios is interrupting on the telephone, refusing to go to bed, acting out in public, homework/poor marks, problems getting along with other children, getting ready for school, and sibling conflict. The scenarios shown for interacting with teenagers are refusing to do household chores, getting jobs done correctly, step-parent/step-child conflict, children fighting each other, performing better in school, children that are a bad influence, loud music problems, and phone problems. The scenarios in dealing with children in foster care are hygiene problems, school, peer conflict, and stealing. The residential care scenarios are peer aggression, bullying, vandalism/defiance, and defiance of authority. If these skills are not sufficient to alleviate the situation, parents are encouraged to seek professional help. It is best to see most family members at the same time during therapy sessions. The focus should be on interrelationships in the family; assessing and changing thinking and behavior patterns; and teaching new interaction skills.