Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

128 Children’s Needs – Parenting CapacityThe conflicting findings around the impact of maternal depression on children’seducation and cognitive development, discussed in the section for children aged1 to 2 years, remains unresolved in studies which focus on older infants. For example,Sharp and colleagues’ (1995) findings suggest that postnatal depression is associatedwith poorer intellectual development in boys at the age of 3 years 10 months, whilethe work of Hammen (1988) found no such relationship.Children’s cognitive development may also be affected by parental problemdrinking. Research using developmental tests shows educational deficits in preschoolchildren (Royal College of Physicians 1995). ‘Children of problem drinkersstudied both in childhood and adulthood reveal cognitive deficits when compared withchildren of non drinkers’ (Royal College of Physicians 1995, p.18).Domestic violence has also been shown to be associated with children showinga lack of interest in their environment and poorer intellectual development(Humphreys and Mullender 1999). A possible explanation may be that growing upin violent households results in children being too frightened to show inquisitivenessor to attempt to explore their environment. A further interpretation of apathy anddisinterest in young children is that it indicates insecure attachments (see section onfamily and social relationships for this age group).Children’s experiences of their parents’ problems may also interfere with children’sability to concentrate.Some days she is obviously upset coming to school and does very little work thosedays. She is an able, bright child who is not realising her full potential. She isbringing a lot of ‘baggage’ to school with her, which is causing concentrationproblems.(Teacher of a 4-year-old girl with a drug-using mother, quoted in Hoganand Higgins 2001, p.19)Children’s learning may also be affected because the disorganisation and torporresulting from mental illness, learning disability or problem alcohol or drug use(or the psychological consequences of domestic violence) may mean parents fail toregularly take children to nursery or other pre-school facilities (Hogan and Higgins2001). Attendance may also be curtailed because a mother may not wish to go outin public, hoping to conceal the evidence of domestic violence or her drinking ordrug taking.Emotional and behavioural development andself-care skillsExpected developmentAt the age of 3 and 4 years children are gradually gaining greater control over theirbehaviour. Although at this age children are usually friendly and helpful, outbursts oftemper are not unusual and can include both verbal expressions of anger and frustration,as well as physical ones such as biting, hitting and scratching (Fahlberg 1991).