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Show Preschool program survey says Getting along with others' Important childhood... and this was true for both boys and girls." Although enrolling a preschool child in a nursery school or child care program can provide many opportunities op-portunities for the child to practice social skills and interaction, parents should also realize that parenting style has a tremendous influence on the child's social competence. Parents should determine if they are employing techniques consistent consis-tent with the authoritative or democratic style of parenting. Parenting classes, such as Active Parenting or STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) are offered as a service through local hospitals and parent resource centers. Parents can improve their communication com-munication and interaction skills by checking with their local community communi-ty service agencies for a schedule of parenting workshops. By TOM L. DAY Department of Family and Human Development Utah State University A recent survey at a local preschool pre-school program revealed that approximately ap-proximately 95 percent of the parents identify social competency skills as the primary goal upon enrolling their child in the program. Skills such as "getting along with others, ' 'being able to share," "cooperation" and "being a friend' are often the desired outcomes. out-comes. The preschool will encourage and give opportunities for developing develop-ing social competence. It will also recognize that parents can do much to foster their child's social competence. com-petence. Research on parenting styles indicates in-dicates that the pattern of parenting behaviors influences the subsequent social competence of the child. Authoritarian or autocratic parents tend to have' children who score lower in social competence than children of parents who are more authoritative or democratic. Authoritarian parents are very controlling, rely on coercive discipline, and show little warmth. They promote conventional values such as respect for authority, work and tradition but they do not discuss their decisions or rules openly with the children. Authoritative parents, on the other hand, are characterized as warm, loving, responsive and supportive, sup-portive, showing respect for the child's independence, personality characteristics, point of view, interests inter-ests and motives. They communicate well with their children, encourage dialogue, and clarify limits and reasons foi j In summarizing her findings after more than 20 years of studying parenting styles, Diane Baumrind concludes, Authoritative childrearing is the only pattern thai consistently (and significantly) produced pro-duced competent children (that is, children high in social competence and social responsibility) in the preschool pre-school years and in middle |
