Parenting Practices

Parenting practices have been studied extensively, with some research showing strong associations
between certain practices and positive child outcomes. This section describes parenting practices
that research indicates are central to helping children achieve basic outcomes in the areas discussed
at the beginning of the chapter: physical health and safety, emotional and behavioral competence,
social competence, and cognitive competence. While these outcomes are used as a partial organizing
framework for this section, several specific practices—contingent responsiveness of parents,
organization of the home environment and the importance of routines, and behavioral discipline
practices—that have been found to influence child well-being in more than one of these four
outcome areas are discussed separately.

Practices to Promote Physical Health and Safety

Parents influence the health and safety of their children in many ways. However, the difficulty of
using random assignment designs to examine parenting practices that promote children’s health and
safety has resulted in a largely observational literature. This section reviews the available evidence
on a range of practices in which parents engage to ensure the health and safety of their children. It
begins with breastfeeding—a subject about which there has historically been considerable discussion
in light of generational shifts and commercial practices that have affected children in poor families.

Breastfeeding

Nutrition and physical activity

Vaccination

Preconception and prenatal care

Injury prevention

Practices to Stimulate Cognitive Development

Contingent Responsiveness of Parents

Organization of the Home Environment and the Importance of Routines

Behavioral Discipline Practices