Central Michigan University

College of __Education & Human Services_______

Department of ___Human Environmental Studies______________
Master Course Syllabus
_HDF 307___ _______Parent-Child Relations_______________3(3-0)
Desig. & #
Full Title of Course
Credits (Mode)
I.
Bulletin Description:
The study of the parent-child relationship, and the impact of that relationship on the
development of both children and parents.
II.

Prerequisites, Pre/Co-requisites, Co-requisites, Recommended:

HDF 100 OR EDU 280 or PSY 220

III.

Rationale for Course Level:

This course is an intermediate course building upon concepts and principles

associated with parent-child relations.
IV.

Suggested Textbooks:

Heath, P. (2009). Parent-child relations: Theory, research, and context (2nd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
V.

Other Requirements and/or Materials for the Course:

None
VI.

Student Learning Course Objectives:

1.
2.

Demonstrate an awareness of the complex role of parenthood.

Describe the changing nature of parent-child relationships and roles over
the life cycle and identify parenting issues relevant to different
developmental time periods.
Demonstrate an understanding of parenting as a process.
Demonstrate the ability to analyze the nature of parent-child relations
from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
Describe and use a variety of strategies of child socialization
Demonstrate an understanding of internal social processes with the
parent-child relationship, including communication patterns, cooperation,
stress, and conflict management.

3.
4.
5.
6.

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7.
8.

Demonstrate an understanding of issues impacting parent-child relations

in a range of contexts and describe variations in parenting practices.
Show an understanding of parental rights and responsibilities.

VII.

Suggested Course Outline:

Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week

1 Introduction: Historical and Theoretical Influences on Childrearing

2 - Parenting Beliefs and Socialization Patterns in Cultural Context
3 Pregnancy and the Transition to Parenthood
4 Parent-Infant/Toddler Interactions
5 - Parent-Preschooler Interactions
6 - The Challenges of Child-Care for Parents of Young Children
7 Parenthood and Middle Childhood
8 - Parent-Adolescent Interaction
9 The Relations of Young Adults, Their Parents, and Their Children
10 - Middle Age and Older Adult Parenthood and Grandparenthood
11 - Children at Risk: Parenting Children with Exceptionalities or Chronic
Illness
12 Children at Risk: The Problems Associated with Child Maltreatment
13 Children at Risk: The Dynamics in Families with at Least One
Alcoholic Parent
14 - Loss and Grief in Parent-Child Relationships
15 - Child Socialization Strategies and Techniques for Motivating Children
toward Cooperative Behavior
Child Socialization Strategies and Techniques for Providing
Consequences that are Developmentally Appropriate & Method for
Resolving Parent-Child Conflict
16 Final exam

Week
Week
Week
Week

Week

VIII. Suggested Course Evaluation:

4 Examinations, each worth 20% of Grade..80% of Total Grade

1 Term Paper
20% of Total Grade
Total
IX.

100%
Bibliography:

Alvy, K. T. (2008). The positive parent: raising healthy, happy, and successful
children : Birth-adolescence. Studio City, CA : Teachers College Press..
Berrick, J. D. & Gilbert, N. (2008). Raising children : emerging needs, modern
risks, and social responses. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press.
Crawford, C. (2009). The highly intuitive child : A guide to understanding and
parenting unusually sensitive and empathic children. Alameda, CA:
Hunter House Publishers

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Elkind, D. (2003). The overbooked child: Are we pushing our kids too hard?
Psychology Today, 36, 64-70.
Feldman, R., Weller, A., & Sirota, L. (2002). Skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care)
promotes self-regulation in premature infants: sleep-wake cyclicity,
arousal modulation, and sustained exploration. Developmental
Psychology, 38, 194-207.
Hughes, D. A. (2009). Attachment-focused parenting : Effective strategies to
care for children. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.
Juffer, M. J., Bakermans-Kranenburger, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (Eds.)
(2008). Promoting positive parenting : An attachment-based
intervention. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates/Taylor &
Francis Group.
Mooney, C. G. (2010). Theories of attachment : An introduction to Bowlby,

Ainsworth, Gerber, Brazelton, Kennell, and Klaus / Carol Garhart Mooney.

St. Paul, MN : Redleaf Press.

Munch, S., & Levick, S. (2001). Im special too: Promoting sibling adjustment in
the neonatal intensive care unit. Health and Social Work, 26, 58-64.
Perry, B. (2001). Death and loss: Helping children manage their grief. Scholastic
Early Childhood Today, 15, 22-23.
Reynolds, L. R. (2009). Still a family: A guide to good parenting through divorce.
New York, NY : AMACOM/American Management Association.
Rosenberg, M. & Guttman, J. (2001). Structural boundaries of single-parent
families and childrens adjustment. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 36,
83-98
Rosenfield, A., & Wise, N. (2000). The Over-Scheduled Child. How to Avoid the
Hyper-Parenting Trap. New York, NY: St. Martins Press.
Socha, T. J. & Stamp, G. H. (Eds.) (2009). Parents and children communicating
with society: Managing relationships outside of home. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Syllabus Prepared By:
Jeff Angera, Ph.D.____________
9-27-2010
Date