Enduring Bonds: The Significance of Interpersonal Relationships in Young Children's Lives (Educating the Young Child Book 1)

Mary Renck Jalongo Interpersonal relationships present an interesting paradox to the young child. Although human bonds are a source of love, security and joy, they are, at the same time, the context in which children feel intense and complicated emotions such as jealousy, shame, resentment, sorrow, and rage. To illustrate, consider a series of incidents in the life of a young child named Melissa. All of these events were so memorable that they became oft-repeated family stories. At age 4, after Melissa was reprimanded by her mother, she packed a small plastic suitcase and announced that she was running away. Her mother kept a watchful eye while the preschooler stood at the end of the driveway for several moments. The child's sister—eight years her senior—decided to go out and gently inquire about her younger sibling's plans, to which Melissa responded ruefully, “I can't run away. I remembered that I'm not allowed to cross the street by myself. ” Months later, Melissa enters kindergarten and she arrives home at the end of her school day, obviously upset. When asked about it, she says, “One of the kids told me I was doing my work wrong and it ruined my whole day. ” In first grade, Melissa has experience with one of the school child's greatest fears: a mean teacher. Young children are social beings. They grow and develop in diverse social and environmental contexts that profoundly affect who they are and what they will become. In this, the first volume of Springer’s Educating the Young Child: Advances in Theory and Research, Implications for Practice, a group of distinguished authors examine an array of interpersonal relationships that are formative in shaping childhood: bonds with adult family members, ties with siblings, interaction with peer groups, and connections with caregivers, teachers, administrators, and service providers. The socio-emotional development of young children has been a significant area of study for decades and early childhood is widely recognized not only as the period during which affective development originates but also as the phase in which the future course of life is set into motion. As life’s pace and complexity continues to increase, expectations for children’s abilities to control themselves and interact effectively with diverse individuals and groups continue to grow. This, the first volume in a series of edited books designed to synthesize research, theory, and practice, will focus on key interpersonal relationships affecting the young child. A distinguished group of authors will examine a wide array of relationships that affect the child today and influence the adult tomorrow—important bonds such as those between caregivers and infants; among siblings; between literate adults and the language-learning child; between the homeless and those providing support services, between principals and young students; and between recently immigrated preschoolers, teachers, and families, to name a few. Young children are social beings. They grow and develop in diverse social and environmental contexts that profoundly affect who they are and what they will become. In this, the first volume of Springer's Educating the Young Child: Advances in Theory and Research, Implications for Practice, a group of distinguished authors examine an array of interpersonal relationships that are formative in shaping childhood: bonds with adult family members, ties with siblings, interaction with peer groups, and connections with caregivers, teachers, administrators, and service providers. The socio-emotional development of young children has been a significant area of study for decades and early childhood is widely recognized not only as the period during which affective development originates but also as the phase in which the future course of life is set into motion. As life's pace and complexity continues to increase, expectations for children's abilities to control themselves and interact effectively with diverse individuals and groups continue to grow. This, the first volume in a series of edited books designed to synthesize research, theory, and practice, focuses on key interpersonal relationships affecting the young child. A distinguished group of authors examines a wide array of relationships that affect the child today and influence the adult tomorrow; important bonds such as those between caregivers and infants; among siblings; between literate adults and the language-learning child; between the homeless and those providing support services, between principals and young students; and between recently immigrated preschoolers, teachers, and families, to name a few. Pt. I. Foundations Of Interpersonal Relationships. The Young Child And Social Relationships In Developing Countries : A Contrast Among Senegal, Burkina Faso, And Haiti / Sue C. Wortham ; Parental And Educator Perspectives On Young Children's Acquisition Of Self-regulatory Skills / Wanda Boyer -- Early Language Development And Adult/child Relationships : An Intricate Connection / Marilyn Roseman -- Pt. Ii. Family Ties. Challenging The Stereotypes Of Mexican American Fathers / Olivia N. Saracho, Bernard Spodek ; Brothers And Sisters : The Influence Of Sibling Relationships On Young Children's Development / Mary Renck Jalongo, Denise Dragich ; How Attention To Family Stress Dynamics Can Prevent Homelessness Among Very Young Families / Kevin James Swick, Reginald Harrison Williams ; Fostering Emergent Literacy Through Parent/child Reading Relationships / Natalie K. Conrad ; Grandparents In The Lives Of Young Children : Redefining Roles And Responsibilities / Laurie Nicholson, Pauline Davey Zeece -- Pt. Iii. Relationships In Child Care And School Settings. Building Positive Relationships In The Lives Of Infants And Toddlers In Child Care / Mary Beth Mann, Russell N. Carney ; Fostering Relationships Between Infants, Toddlers And Their Primary Caregivers In Child Care Centres In Australia / Marjory Ebbeck, Hoi Yin Bonnie Yim ; Working With Recently Immigrated Young Children : Perspectives, Challenges, And Implications For Practice / Jacqueline Onchwari, Nurun Begum, Grace Oonchwari ; Young Children's Perceptions Of School Administrators : Fostering Positive Relationships / Sue A. Rieg. Mary Renck Jalongo, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-x The Young Child and Social Relationships in Developing Countries....Pages 7-22 Parental and Educator Perspectives on Young Children’s Acquisition of Self-Regulatory Skills....Pages 23-37 Early Language Development and Adult/Child Relationships....Pages 39-54 Challenging the Stereotypes of Mexican American Fathers....Pages 57-72 Brothers and Sisters....Pages 73-90 How Attention to Family Stress Dynamics can Prevent Homelessness Among Very Young Families....Pages 91-106 Fostering Emergent Literacy through Parent/Child Reading Relationships....Pages 107-127 Grandparents in the Lives of Young Children....Pages 129-144 Building Positive Relationships in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers in Child Care....Pages 147-157 Fostering Relationships Between Infants, Toddlers and Their Primary Caregivers in Child Care Centres in Australia....Pages 159-177 Working With Recently Immigrated Young Children....Pages 179-192 Young Children’s Perceptions of School Administrators....Pages 193-209 Back Matter....Pages 211-213 "The socio emotional development of young children has been a significant area of study for decades and early childhood is widely recognized not only as the period during which affective development originates, but also as the phase in which the future course of life is set into motion. As life's pace and complexity continues to increase, expectations for children's abilities to control themselves and interact effectively with diverse individuals and groups continue to grow. This first volume designed to synthesize research, theory, and practice, Enduring Bonds focuses on key interpersonal relationships affecting the young child." "Enduring Bonds is of interest to students, teachers of young children, college and university faculty, and professionals from fields other than education who are unified in their commitment to the care and education of young children."--Jacket