Vol 12 Issue 2
FOCUS ON: Parenting indoors and outdoors
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Helping parents enjoy the outdoors with their baby
- Risky play
- Autonomy supportive care
- Early motor development
- Toilet training healthy children
- Healthy screen use for young children
Author: Alexandra Vermandel, Tinne Van Aggelpoel, Gunter De Win, Lola Bladt
Author title: Alexandra Vermandel, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Urology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Tinne Van Aggelpoel, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Urology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Gunter De Win, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Urology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Lola Bladt, Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium Jean Jacques Wyndaele, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Description: Toilet training is one of the challenging aspects of early childhood. The process of becoming toilet trained is an inevitable step in a child’s development to meet societal norms. Good scientific studies on the correct approach to this process are scarce. Parents remain with unclear guidance. Toilet Training practice and outcome continue to be a source of concern for many parents. The best method and optimal time to start toilet training remain unknown.
Author: Ericka Williams and Jenny S. Radesky
Author title: Ericka Williams and Jenny S. Radesky, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School; American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Description: This article describes the 5Cs, a new clinical approach to screen time developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. Because the topic of screen time can elicit guilt and shame in families, the 5Cs framework aims to provide clinicians and educators with a straightforward and strengths-based framework to discuss digital media with families. Its goals are to enhance family insight, improve communication skills, and motivate healthy behavior change that will feel actionable and realistic to families who feel overwhelmed. Additionally, this article will explore the evidence surrounding screen time and its effects on infants and toddlers, the importance of addressing parental media use, strategies for selecting high-quality media for young children, and the implications of using digital media for calming purposes.
Author: Stephanie M. Carlson
Author title: Distinguished McKnight University Professor, University of Minnesota, USA
Description: The skills children learn when they are young can make a big difference in their achievements and relationships as they grow up. Skills like getting along with others, controlling emotions, and being ready to learn new information are all important for children’s development. Scientists have been studying how to help children improve these skills, which we call executive function (EF) skills. These are the brain-based processes used to hold information in mind, resist impulses, and think flexibly. Together, they allow individuals to solve problems, make good decisions, and accomplish goals.
Author: Helen Little
Author title: Helen Little, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood, School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Description: Risky play is a form of play that is thrilling and exciting, involving exploration and uncertainty. It shapes children’s health, well-being and developmental trajectories, including physical/motor, social-emotional, and cognitive development. It encompasses bodily, emotional, perceptual and environmental aspects that lead to positive child outcomes, but may also involve injury.
Author: Pamela Beach, Melanie Perreault
Author title: Pamela Beach, College of Health Sciences & Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, USA
Melanie Perreault, Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, & Physical Education, State University of New York, Brockport, USA
Description: This article provides a nuanced exploration of infant motor development, emphasizing the complexity of how infants learn to navigate their rapidly changing bodies and environments.
Author: Catherine Williams, George Ely, Jamie Macdonald
Author title: Catherine Williams, Executive Officer, Snowdonia-Active Jeanette Wooden, Babi Actif Project Coordinator, Snowdonia-Active
George Ely, Sport and Exercise Psychologist, School of Psychology and Sport Science, Bangor University, Wales
Jamie Macdonald, Sport and Exercise Scientist, School of Psychology and Sport Science, Bangor University, Wales
Description: Time spent outside during the foundational years appears to be decreasing. Babi Actif’s project aim is to support parents to be active outdoors with their babies during their baby’s first 1000 days (from conception to 2nd birthday), by coordinating a programme of outdoor activity sessions across North Wales, and by generating online and physical resources. During an evaluation project carried out between January 2020 and February 2023, 1,028 Babi Actif participants completed surveys and a subset completed focus groups. At baseline, the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale revealed that 17% of parents reported low mental wellbeing scores, whilst the International Physical Activity Questionnaire revealed that 11% of parents did not achieve the UK-recommended physical activity guidelines. Following participation in Babi Actif, 88% of parents reported that their own health and/or wellbeing improved, whilst 83% reported that their baby’s health and/or wellbeing improved too. Parents attributed improvements to the use of carefully selected service providers, the provision of outdoor skills that enhanced confidence to get outdoors, and the facilitation of parents’ social support networks. The Babi Actif project offers free resources to parents to enhance their family’s health and wellbeing and is ready for implementation in other geographical areas.
Author: Dr Jonathan Sher
Author title: IJBPE Contributing Editor and Founding Partner of Scotland’s Coalition for Healthier Pregnancies, Better Lives while the former Deputy Director of the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland.
Description: Tackling falling birth rates by addressing the one in four pregnancies that are not successful with better preconception health.
