Toward the use of child development research in informed parenting

Abstract

Since 1920, child development research has burgeoned. But only infrequently does research provide answers to parents who are concerned about child rearing. This is due partly to inconsistent findings within the body of often highly technical research, and partly to the lack of generalizability of research findings across various situations and contexts. Popular primers for parents often ignore these problems and provide simplistic and unambiguous guidelines. But parents who follow a given set of guidelines cannot be sure of the effects on the child. The intended effects may not occur, while several unintended negative byproducts may even go unnoticed. Parents would probably benefit more from adequate basic knowledge in child development, rather than glib guidelines.