PART 1: CREATE YOUR PARENTING CASE   STUDY TOPIC

Using the planning table provided   below, you will create a case study on a parenting topic of interest to you.   Throughout the course you will conduct research on this topic, culminating in   a Parenting Action Plan that proposes solutions to resolve your case.  

Step 1: Select a scenario that may   be a cause for concern in parents.

You may use the list below or   identify a scenario of your own with the permission of the instructor. Write   your scenario of interest into the planning table provided below.

List of Scenarios

• Sleeping        arrangements for newborn
• Immunizations        for children
• Bedwetting
• Breastfeeding        older children
• Special        needs, such as:
• Down        syndrome or other genetic disorder
• Learning        disabilities
• Autism
• Attention        deficit with hyperactivity disorder
• Physical-motor        disability
• Language        delay, speech, related issues
• Teen        pregnancy
• Alcohol        and substance abuse in teens
• Relationship        problems in teens, dating, inappropriate, and/or risk-taking behavior
• Mental        health issues (e.g. depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders)
• Behavioral        issues in younger children
• Behavioral        issues in teens
• Parental        conflict and argument
• Military        deployment
• Grandparents        raising grandchildren
• Adoption/foster        parenting
• Racial        and cultural issues in parenting -Tiger moms, immigrant children, LGBTQ,        biracial identity, religion
• Older        child parenting and emerging adulthood (age 18-21)
• Use        of media-cellphones, tablets, etc.
• Impact        of domestic violence
• Bullying,        cyberbullying
• Stepfamilies
• Impact        of divorce
• Choosing        daycare, preschool
• Healthy        diet, eating disorders
• College/postsecondary        readiness

Step 2: Select an age group to   which the scenario applies.

After picking your scenario,   select an age group (see planning table below) that you would be interested   in learning more about. For example, if you are interested in “choosing   daycare” as a topic, are you interested in daycare for infants, toddlers, or school-aged   children? Note that your scenario may not make sense for some age groups. For   example, you probably would not be interested in learning about daycare   options for an 18-year-old.

Step 3: Select a socioeconomic   status for your scenario.

Determine whether your scenario   will apply to a family of lower, middle or upper socioeconomic status (SES)   (see planning table below). SES can profoundly impact access to resources   which, in turn, can impact outcomes. It is important to know what services   are available and who can access them.  

Step 4: Family composition.

Using the planning table below,   identify at least two details about the composition of the family. Who is   living in the home? How many generations live in the home? What is the   marital status of the parents? Are there siblings? Family composition can be   a source of strength as well as a source of stress. Use this section to flesh   out the details of the family in your scenario.  

Step 5: Identify the type of issue   in your scenario.

Use the planning table to identify   the type of issue(s) present in your scenario. Check all that you think could   apply. This will help you to figure out where you can find information on   your topic. For example, if you are dealing with a topic like behavioral   issues that emerge in a child after military deployment of a parent, you   might start looking for research in psychology journals that deal with   military families, like “Military Family Therapy.”

Step 6: Identify possible sites of   impact for addressing your scenario.

Using the planning table, identify   possible sites of impact for your scenario. For example, if you are   interested in “choosing daycare,” you would probably select “daycare” as a   site of impact, but you might also select “home” if you are interested in how   daycare impacts behavior in the home. You might also select “school,” if you   think the quality of daycare has an impact on academic performance.

Step 7: Identify potential   solutions to address your scenario.

Using the planning table, check   off the potential solution(s) that could form the basis of your parenting   action plan.

Instructions: Choose   and write down your topic and ideas about: The topic/title, why you think it   is important, and where you think you will look for resources. 

Use the Planning Table below   to create your chosen topic. Each section of the table below may be used to   narrow down the specifics of your research paper. Each section will help to   get you thinking about the aspects of your action plan. In the example below,   the sections of the table appear in parenthesis to exemplify how these   sections relate to your topic choice. Please note that these sections form a   part of the final paper write up, and as such can be used while writing up   your final paper. 

AFP Part 1: Planning Table

STEP     1: SCENARIO

(write     your chosen

scenario     below)

STEP     2: AGE GROUP OF INTEREST

• Birth-3 yrs
• 3-10 yrs
• 10-13 yrs
• 14-18 yrs
• 18-21 yrs

STEP     3: SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

STEP     4: FAMILY COMPOSITION

(include     at least 2 of these details)

• Parental involvement?
• Single, married, divorced?
• Siblings?
• Who is living in the home?
• Employment status of parents?
• Other?

STEP     5: TYPE OF PROBLEM

• Schoolwork or Homework Issue
• Behavioral Issue
• Social Issue
• Physical/Emotional Issue
• Other:________

STEP     6: SITES OF IMPACT

• Home
• School
• Daycare
• Parent Workplace
• Public Spaces (e.g. playground, retail, grocery          store, etc.)
• Other:__________

STEP     7: POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

• Home Plan
• School Strategy
• Community Support Groups
• Behavioral Health Plan
• Medical/Health Plan
• Special Programs/Supports
• Other:_______

STEP 8: Crafting your parenting   case study.

Write a parenting case study that   incorporates all of the information in the planning table (Steps 1-6). Your   case study should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. You may want to add details   now or as your research progresses to make your case study more interesting.

Example:

The current case study involves a   child with significant learning disabilities who is 8 years old and from a   middle-class socioeconomic status background. The child has a 10-year-old   sister with no known learning disabilities or behavioral issues. Parents   recently separated, but both parents are actively involved with the children.   A parenting action plan will be developed to address the child’s problems   with schoolwork. I will discuss the case in the context of home and school   (i.e. sites of impact), providing solutions that may include a home plan to   address the parental separation as well as special programs in school and   community supports (i.e. potential solutions).

Your Parenting Case Study will be   evaluated according to the following rubric: 

Criteria Met

Criteria Partially Met

Criteria Not Met

Scenario Selected

1

–

0

Age group

1

–

0

SES

1

–

0

Family composition (>2     details identified)

2

1

0

Type of Problem

1

–

0

Site of Impact

1

–

0

Potential Solution(s) Selected

1

–

0

Well-written and interesting     case scenario

2

1

0

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