Home Study
Parent/Child Psychology
Parenting is one of the most important and valuable roles in a person's life. Understanding child psychology is extremely important for many reasons. If you are one of those who are new to parenting or want to know the language and practice of child psychology, it is important to know the proper learning & communication styles on which small children actually depend.
Children do not deal with situations in the same way adults do because they do not process information the same way. In fact they do not have similar expressive or reasoning skills. Thus by understanding the child psychology, you can better understand children and even equip them to become well-adjusted and able to express their views. Our 6-month home study course in Parent/Child Psychology can help you find out about the nature and development of children. Our short-term course provides you with an opportunity to increase your knowledge that in turn can help you face the changing challenges of parenting. The course is relevant for both new and experienced parents and for anybody in teaching or day-care service of young children.
Learning Objectives
Parents and those who work with children enjoy their love of life and their innocence and interest in the world around them but it also requires much more to connect with small children at a deeper level and keep them on the learning path. In this regard, our child psychology certificate aims to train you how to proactively respond to the situations that come up when children are in a supervised setting. The course aims to provide you a crucial understanding of child psychology in terms of growth and also some familiar childhood psychological difficulties. Apart from this, this course also intends to give you the training that can help you in dealing effectively with children and their unique needs.
Course Feature
The following are some of the vital features of our Certificate Program in Parent/Child Psychology:
- The course is categorised into 6 units, which will be sent out to you monthly. The important point to note is that each unit comprises reading material, followed up by two written assignments that you must complete and return to your tutor.
- The reading material is presented in 3 different sections, mainly:
- Issue - This section will highlight the main theme of the unit. Besides this, it will address it at all age levels and include frequent problems and case studies.
- Theory - This section will highlight the main theorist associated with the particular issue, together with other alternative views.
- Self-development - This section will look at the same issue, but from the point of view of the adult.
- The assignments are straightforward and relate directly to the reading material. They include short factual answers, personal responses/reactions to the reading material, self-development exercises, etc.
- On average the course will generally require 3-4 hours reading/study per week.
- The assignments will be graded by your tutor and returned to you.
- You may return your assignment work to your tutor through any of the following options:
• Monthly
• The first three assignment units halfway through the course, (i.e. after month 3) or
• All assignment work together at the end of the course
- Specific dates will be supplied as you progress through the course.
- This allows great flexibility on your part and lets you decide the method that best suits you and your way of study. Any way you decide to submit the assignments, they will be graded by your tutor and returned to you at our earliest possible convenience.
- We also offer scope for flexibility of your progression through the course. Just in case you feel you do not have enough time at a particular point, like - you are going away, your work pressure is irresistible, then just let us know and we can delay sending out the next unit until you are in a position to continue.
- Finally on successful completion of all 6 units the Certificate in Parent/Child Psychology will be awarded.
Course Outline
Attachment & Separation
- What is attachment? / Secure & insecure attachments
- The parent's bond / The infant's bond / Failure of bonding
- Effects of parental practices, Maternal employment
- Separation anxiety - the dependent child
- Transitional objects
- Parents' separation fears, who is losing whom?
Sense of Self & Self-Esteem
- The objective self, Infant's self-understanding, Children's self-concept
- Self-esteem, Importance of self-esteem in the parents, Encouraging a positive self-image
- The fragile self & how children protect it
- Adolescence - the toddler in the teen, Identity formation
- Erikson's theory of development
Gender & Sexuality
- Gender similarities & differences, Development of the sex role
- Gender stereotyping, Gender & the media
- Sexuality in childhood, Changing sexual attitudes & behaviours
- Socio-biology
- Sons & daughters, Co-education/single sex schools
- Defence mechanisms including: repression, suppression, denial, sublimation, projection, reaction-formation, displacement, identification, compensation
- Sex & drugs & rock & roll
Discipline & Moral Development
- Definitions & components of discipline, Discipline or punishment? Self discipline
- Smacking - the debate: the case for an against, Use the rod, lose the child
- Specific problem behaviours: tantrums, lying, stealing, cheating, swearing
- Jean Piaget's developmental model, Lawrence Kohlberg's theory
- Moral education, Poisonous pedagogy
Temperament & Personality
- The role of temperament, Temperament & environment, Adult's temperament
- ‘Easy’ kids, ‘Difficult’ kids, ‘Quiet’ kids
- Impact of the family - styles of parenting, Becoming an authoritative parent
- Stress, Optimism, pessimism & resilience
- Heredity – environment interaction
Family Relationships
- Family structure, The family as a system
- Divorce & separation, Step-parent/Step-child relationships
- Sibling relationships, Birth order, Only children
- The family life cycle - a 6-stage model
- Family therapy
- Caring for yourself as a parent, Exploring childhood as an adult
Contact
If you require further information
Niamh at
ATI 38 Lower
Leeson Street, Dublin 2
Tel 01 6629737
Fax: 01 6425599
Email: admin@psychology.ie
