Childhood Friendships And Peer Relations

In the second edition of his unique study of peer relationships in childhood, Dr Barry Schneider re-examines this fundamental aspect of childhood. Taking the work of Jacob Moreno as its starting point, the book provides an up-to-date and accessible understanding of how children develop social competence in different environments, from school to cyberspace. It is informed by a cross-cultural perspective that examines how peer relationships vary in different cultures, as well as among children who have migrated to a new culture, and provides increased coverage of how bullying is perceived and managed within peer groups. The book is informed, too, by new research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, which mean we know far more about how children relate to each other than ever before. Childhood Friendships and Peer Relations is a fascinating and very timely overview of what we know about making friends and enemies in childhood, showing how these relationships can have lasting effects. It will be essential reading to all students of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology, as well as anyone training towards a career working with children and young people.

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

In the second edition of his unique study of peer relationships in childhood, Dr Barry Schneider re-examines this fundamental aspect of childhood. Taking the work of Jacob Moreno as its starting point, the book provides an up-to-date and accessible understanding of how children develop social competence in different environments, from school to cyberspace. It is informed by a cross-cultural perspective that examines how peer relationships vary in different cultures, as well as among children who have migrated to a new culture, and provides increased coverage of how bullying is perceived and managed within peer groups. The book is informed, too, by new research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, which mean we know far more about how children relate to each other than ever before. Childhood Friendships and Peer Relations is a fascinating and very timely overview of what we know about making friends and enemies in childhood, showing how these relationships can have lasting effects. It will be essential reading to all students of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology, as well as anyone training towards a career working with children and young people.

In the second edition of his unique study of peer relationships in childhood, Dr Barry Schneider re-examines this fundamental aspect of childhood. Taking the work of Jacob Moreno as its starting point, the book provides an up-to-date and accessible understanding of how children develop social competence in different environments, from school to cyberspace. It is informed by a cross-cultural perspective that examines how peer relationships vary in different cultures, as well as among children who have migrated to a new culture, and provides increased coverage of how bullying is perceived and managed within peer groups. The book is informed, too, by new research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, which mean we know far more about how children relate to each other than ever before. Childhood Friendships and Peer Relations is a fascinating and very timely overview of what we know about making friends and enemies in childhood, showing how these relationships can have lasting effects. It will be essential reading to all students of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology, as well as anyone training towards a career working with children and young people.

Amy Rubin, the seven-year-old daughter of one of this volume's editors, was discussing with her close friend Kristin,. her teacher's practice of distributing stickers to her classmates for completing their seat work. As the conversation continued, Joshua, Amy's two-year-old brother (al though Amy would argue that he more often resembles an albatross around her neck) sauntered up to the older children. He flashed a broad smile, hugged his sister, and then grabbed her book of stickers. Corey Ross, the nine-year-old son of the other editor was trying to plan a tobogganing party with his friend Claire. The problem facing Corey and Claire was that there were too few toboggans to go around for their grade four classmates. Jordan, Corey's younger brother had agreed to lend his toboggan. However, Harriet, Claire's younger sister and Jordan's close friend had resisted all persuasive attempts to borrow her toboggan. The older children decided that the best strategy was to use Jordan's friendship with Harriet and his good example of sibling generosity in presenting thejr case to Harriet. Both of these anecdotes exemplify what this volume on peer relation ships and social skills is about. Children have friends with whom they discuss issues of perceived social significance. During the early elemen tary school years, rather sophisticated conversations and debates con cerning topics of reward distribution, altruism, person perception, social status, sibling relations, and cooperation can be overheard (especially by eavesdropping parents who have professional interests in such matters).

This study attempts to demonstrate that social relationships are an integral part of a child's broader social and psychological functioning. Chapters are arranged in developmental order in the sense of both age and relationship growth, moving from initial attachments to peer friendships.

A psychologist with a reputation for penetrating to the heart of complex parenting issues joins forces with a physician and bestselling author to tackle one of the most disturbing and misunderstood trends of our time -- peers replacing parents in the lives of our children. Dr. Neufeld has dubbed this phenomenon peer orientation, which refers to the tendency of children and youth to look to their peers for direction: for a sense of right and wrong, for values, identity and codes of behaviour. But peer orientation undermines family cohesion, poisons the school atmosphere, and fosters an aggressively hostile and sexualized youth culture. It provides a powerful explanation for schoolyard bullying and youth violence; its effects are painfully evident in the context of teenage gangs and criminal activity, in tragedies such as in Littleton, Colorado; Tabor, Alberta and Victoria, B.C. It is an escalating trend that has never been adequately described or contested until Hold On to Your Kids. Once understood, it becomes self-evident -- as do the solutions. Hold On to Your Kids will restore parenting to its natural intuitive basis and the parent-child relationship to its rightful preeminence. The concepts, principles and practical advice contained in Hold On to Your Kids will empower parents to satisfy their children’s inborn need to find direction by turning towards a source of authority, contact and warmth. Something has changed. One can sense it, one can feel it, just not find the words for it. Children are not quite the same as we remember being. They seem less likely to take their cues from adults, less inclined to please those in charge, less afraid of getting into trouble. Parenting, too, seems to have changed. Our parents seemed more confident, more certain of themselves and had more impact on us, for better or for worse. For many, parenting does not feel natural. Adults through the ages have complained about children being less respectful of their elders and more difficult to manage than preceding generations, but could it be that this time it is for real? -- from Hold On to Your Kids

Friendships are crucial to children's well-being and happiness and lay important foundations upon which later relationships in adolescence and adulthood are built. This clear, well-structured overview of the nature and significance of children's and adolescents' friendships examines issues such as the impact of social-cognitive development, relationship problems, and methods of promoting positive relationships.