PARENTAL COMPETENCE From experience of psychological counseling MSUPE Nataliya Avdeeva Moscow State University of Psychology and Education
Parental incompetence in the children development and education and consequences for child mental development
Parents are not aware of the age peculiarities of child development and often their requirements are inadequate They do not meet the child psychological needs of emotional closeness and acceptance They can not take into account the child character and features They consider pre-school childhood as preparation for school, but not the important and self-sufficient stage of life; deprive the child of play and other activities.
Features of modern education in family
Liberal education and misinterpretation of "absolute acceptance" culminate in difficulties in child adaption for preschool and school institutions Emotional ambiguity of mothers with children of early and preschool age Inconsistency is often the prevailing style of education Parents ‘programme’ the development, early socialization to the injury of the general abilities development and identity of the child. Test for preschool child to determine professional orientation are popularized.
Father in child education
Lack of father’s participation in early childhood is still the predominant stereotype Such families show the inversion of parental roles. Due to mother’s dominance and father's inactivity the child positive identification with the parental models is suffered. A false father model may be transmitted in further generations. Currently, fathers are often involved into child’s care and education from early years and a new father’s model is gradually formed. Fathers are more emotionally , democratic, involved and effective that give positive effect to child’s development.
POSITIVE TENDENCIES: new parents’ needs in psychological counseling
Parents want to know how to create adequate environment for child’s mental development They are interested in developmental programs, read books on psychology and pedagogy, buy developmental games and toys They want to increase parental competence: they want to be able to interact with the child, to resolve conflicts, to encourage and to punish in adequate manner, to communicate and enjoy better understanding with the child
COUNSELLING FOR PARENTS AT THE MSUPE AGE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTATION CENTRE
Identification of children’s development features and their potential capacities. Identification of children with various abberations and disturbances of mental development (and getting them a referral to the psychological, medical and educational consultation) Making recommendations to parents on interaction and communication with their children based on their age and individual characteristics (profiling). Holding a remedial instruction to children, aimed at both eliminating existing problems and difficulties of the child and parent training on the best ways of the child care and education. Counselling for parents on-line, as well as e-counselling at the Faculty web-site.
ADVANCE TRAINING FOR PARENTS
Familiarization of parents with the basic age regularities of the child mental development Parent training on the best forms of interaction and communication with children Clarification of the psychological support suitability for the child development Organization of lectures, seminars and training visual aids preparation on the development of infants, preschoolers, junior schoolchildren, and creation of the optimal conditions for education and training
The main principles of counselling activity
Family-orientation and partnership Voluntariness and aware consent Confidentiality Openness and professional responsibility Respect for the child individuality Respect for the parent individuality
Psychologist
not only has to deal with already existing problems of children and parents, trying to “eliminate” negative display, helping cope with the difficulties, but works aiming at prevention, increasing parental competence, and creation the optimal environment for the child development. Increasing parental competence and efficiency in the interests of the child becomes a priority in the psychologist’s practice.