A Collaborative Effort With the World's Leading Communication Experts

More Information Needed about Discipline, Spoiling and Expectations of Young Children

CHICAGO — Results of a landmark survey released today raise questions about what Americans know about raising emotionally, intellectually and socially healthy children.

"This lack of accurate child development information among adults has very real implications for American society," said Kyle Pruett, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale University Child Study Center, and president of ZERO TO THREE. "We're potentially raising overly aggressive children who react to situations with intimidation and bullying, instead of cooperation and understanding; children who won't be able to tolerate frustration, wait their turn or respect the needs of others."

What Grown-Ups Understand About Child Development: A National Benchmark Survey measured the child development knowledge of 3,000 adults and parents. Secondarily, it examined what the general public thinks about selected policies that impact children and families. The survey was sponsored by Civitas, ZERO TO THREE and BRIO Corporation, three organizations dedicated to the welfare of young children, and conducted by DYG, Inc., a nationally respected research company led by Daniel Yankelovich.

"The results of the survey overwhelmingly indicate that adults need more and better information, delivered in more accessible ways," said Suzanne Muchin, chief executive officer of Civitas, a not-for-profit communications group that commissioned the survey. The survey results show that specific areas of misinformation among adults include spoiling and spanking; adults' expectations of young children at different ages; and the most beneficial forms of play.

Parents Misunderstand: Babies Can't Be Spoiled
Parents are confused — and grandparents even more so — about what parental behaviors constitute spoiling for infants and young children. For example:

• 57% of parents of young children (0-6 years of age) and 62% of all adults incorrectly believe a six-month-old can be spoiled.
• 44% of parents of young children and 60% of grandparents incorrectly believe picking up a three-month-old every time he cries will spoil the child. "If you don't pick up a baby when he is crying, you can build up his levels of stress and distress, which in turn can slow his learning," says Dr. Pruett. "Responding to your child's needs is not spoiling. Young children need your attention to develop the faith and trust that their needs matter to you."

Most Parents Condone Spanking; Child Development Research Doesn't
The effects of spanking are also confusing to most parents. According to the survey results:

• 61% of parents of young children condone spanking as a "regular form of punishment" for young children, while research indicates it's detrimental to a child's development.
• 37% think spanking is appropriate for children under two years of age. "These findings are surprising," said Ron Lally, Ed.D., co-director of The Center For Child and Family Study at WestEd, "given that while many parents condone spanking as a regular form of punishment, they also understand that this can lead to children acting more aggressively, and that it will not lead to better self-control." Lally added, "Why would anyone spank an infant or toddler? There is nothing he or she can learn from it other than to distrust bigger and more powerful people."

Parents Expectations Aren't Always Appropriate
Most American adults, according to the survey, are confused about what should be realistically expected from young children at different ages.

• 51% of parents of young children expect a 15-month-old to share her toys, and 26% of all adults expect a three-year-old to sit quietly for one hour at a time — both unrealistic expectations, according to experts.
• 26% of all adults, and 23% of parents of young children believe that a child as young as six months will not suffer any long-term effects from witnessing violence. Child development research shows it can have long-lasting, detrimental effects on a child's social and emotional development and his developing brain.
• 61% of all adults, and 55% of parents with young children, do not know when young babies begin to sense and are affected by the moods of others. This is crucial because child development research shows that if a caregiver is particularly anxious or depressed, it can have a damaging effect on a baby's development.
• 40% of parents of young children incorrectly believe a 12-month-old who turns the TV on and off repeatedly while her parents are trying to watch it, believe she is "angry and trying to get back at them."
• 72% of parents of young children were unaware that children as young as four months of age, can experience real depression; 51% believe children cannot experience depression until they are at least three years of age.

Parents Value Less Beneficial Forms of Play
According to Dr. Pruett, "play is extremely important to a child's development; a way for children to learn about their world." While most parents understand the importance of play, there are still several information gaps:

• Many parents place too much emphasis on less valuable forms of play, such as flashcards, educational television and computer activities.
• Parents also don't understand the importance of the connection between physical play, such as playground activities, and intellectual development. "Play is a vital part of how children learn about the world around them," said Peter Reynolds, president of BRIO Corporation. "We all need more information in order to understand the value of imagination and play."

Parents Understand Many Important Issues
Although adults lack significant information about some aspects of child development, most know a great deal about some key issues. For example, they understand:

• Children's capabilities are not fully predetermined at birth and, in fact, parents and caregivers play a major role in their development.
• Early experiences, even in the first months of life, have a significant impact on a child's capabilities much later in life.
• Emotional closeness (i.e., love) with children has a profound impact on a child's intellectual, social and emotional development.

Americans Want Policies That Better Support Children and Families
In spite of early childhood development research that emphasizes the importance of the relationship between young children and their caregivers:

• Nearly 65% of parents of young children and adults feel the government is not doing enough to help working parents meet their children's needs.
• 61% of parents of young children and 59% of all adults feel employers are not doing enough to help working parents meeting their children's needs. "Families don't raise children in a vacuum. Policies and programs directly impact the ability of parents to support their children's healthy growth and development," said Matthew Melmed, executive director of ZERO TO THREE. "These findings clearly show that the general public understands the needs of families with young children and desires family leave and child care policies that will help meet these needs."

Next Steps
"Although child development materials exist, they are not effectively reaching the hands of parents and other caregivers," added Muchin. "Providing educational materials for use as early as middle school is a positive first step. Increased dissemination of information now ensures better informed parents of future generations."

Civitas, ZERO TO THREE and BRIO have developed — and plan to create — more valuable tools and information to address these knowledge gaps. This information must be distributed in ways that reach parents, grandparents, future parents, other caregivers, policymakers and professionals — all of whom make a difference in our children's future.

Survey Sponsors
Chicago-based Civitas is a national, not-for-profit communications group whose mission is to create tools that help educate and support adults who take care of young children. ZERO TO THREE, headquartered in Washington, DC, also a non-profit organization, is the nation's leading resource for knowledge and expertise regarding young children's development. BRIO Corporation, in Milwaukee, is a leading toy company whose products focus on play, development, imagination and fun. BRIO (www.briotoy.com) provided financial support for the survey.

People desiring more information about child development and listings of additional resources can log onto the Civitas (www.civitas.org) and ZERO TO THREE web sites.