August 6, 1999
SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TIPS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRIMINGHAM OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
1. Why Answer "Why?"
A child's need to know "why?" can be taxing, but parents who respond to their children's questions give them much more than just the answers, say Drs. Sharon and Craig Ramey, directors of the Civitan International Research Center at UAB. In their new book, "Going to School," the Rameys say answers teach children that asking questions is good, adults are a good source of information, and even adults don't know everything. It's fine not to answer every "why?," say the Rameys. Their advice: enlist family and friends to help answer questions, arrange get-togethers and outings so children can learn together; and get some good dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedias for young children. Call Joy Carter, Media Relations, 934-1676.
2. Help for Kids Who Hate School
Every child has an occasional bad day at school, but when a child's anxieties persist, parents must take action, says UAB child and family psychologist Vivian Friedman, Ph.D. "Children usually hate school because of problems with peers, difficulties with academics, or they lack a work ethic. The first thing parents should do is ascertain why the child hates school. Sometimes children are picked on by peers. If it's an academic problem, a child will become frustrated because they can't keep up. The solution may be as simple as moving the child to another classroom. Call Gail Short, Media Relations, 934-8931.
3. It's a TV, Not a Baby Sitter
"Television may seem like an easy way to manage children," says UAB family counseling expert William Crunk, Ph.D., "but too often it isolates children from their parents." Children and television viewing was the subject of a recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics that said children under 2 years of age should never watch TV. "Television has become a solitary affair with parents watching in one room and children in another." Some children even have televisions in their bedrooms. Crunk suggests families pick one night a week to spend together without television. "But when you watch, make it a family-centered activity, where parents and kids sit down together and plan which quality shows that they will watch and discuss." Call Gail Short, Media Relations, 934-8931.
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