Effects of individual-oriented relationship education on university students' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes

This quasi-experimental, exploratory study adds important empirical research to the relatively new field of individual-oriented relationship education. It describes the extent to which specific relationship beliefs and attitudes are held, and evaluates the impact of an undergraduate, semester-long Intimate and Family Relationships course on these beliefs. Utilizing data collected over two semesters at the University of Montana, this study compared 356 student responses at the beginning and end of the semester on three separate scales designed to quantify select measures of specific constraint beliefs and attitudes: Attitudes About Romance and Mate Selection (AARMS), the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), and the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Short Form (IRMA-SF). Additionally, this study examined the mediating effects of several student background factors: parental divorce, gender, and parenting style on student responses to the educational experience. The researcher found significant results in the following areas: (a) gender differences with regards to the Love is Enough Cohabitation constraint beliefs, and rape myth acceptance; (b) differences on the Love is Enough constraint belief and rape myth acceptance between Adult Children of Divorce and non-Adult Children of Divorce; (c) differences between students who are in a relationship and those who are not, with regards to the One and Only constraint belief, and rape myth acceptance. The results are discussed in the context of exploring and understanding possible variables that may or may not impact relationship health, and may or may not be amendable to individually oriented relationship education. Limitations of the study, implications of the findings, and recommendations for future research are discussed

Why Parents Spank Their Children and Why They Should Stop

What do you feel when your lovely child misbehaves and then the misbehavior continues or repeats? What happens when you feel terribly angry and just want to make your child’s behavior stop? What happens if you spank your child . . . and then . . . much to your relief, your child’s annoying behavior stops! In this episode, not only do Dr. Sara and Dr. John discuss the negative outcomes linked to spanking, John also annoys Sara so much that she takes the impressive step of turning off his microphone. Will John ever get to speak again? How long does his microphone time-out last? This episode includes a clip of what Cris Carter, former Minnesota Viking and Hall of Fame wide receiver, thinks about physical discipline. You also get to hear what Dr. Elizabeth Gershoff discovered in her meta-analysis of corporal punishment research. When talking about B.F. Skinner and the science of negative reinforcement, for the first time in history, John says something that’s technically incorrect. If you’re the first person to correctly identify what John says that’s wrong, you will receive a copy of his book, “How to Listen so Parents will Talk and Talk so Parents will Listen.” You can enter by posting your idea on the Practically Perfect Parenting Podcast Facebook page or on John’s blog, at johnsommersflanagan.com.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1018/thumbnail.jp

Inspiring Cooperation in Your Children

In this fantastic new episode of the Practically Perfect Parenting Podcast, John tries to inspire Sara to be more cooperative. You can guess how well that works. As the usual Sara-John dynamics fly, you’ll learn about three situations that tend to elicit children’s defiance, how children’s styles may make them more or less cooperative, general principles of inspiring cooperation in children, and specific techniques you can try out with your children. You’ll also hear Sara ask John, “Is it wrong for me to stalk my children?” and Sara will share her feedback to John about whether he should brag or not. In the stunning conclusion, you’ll find out John’s uncensored thoughts on free range parenting and whether or not he recommends that you read, “Free Range Kids” by Lenore Skenazy The Practically Perfect Parenting Podcast (PPPP) is brought to you in part by the Charles Engelhard Foundation and the National Parenting Education Network . . . but you should be aware that the views expressed on this and every episode of the PPPP do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors, our listeners, or anyone other than Sara Polanchek and John Sommers-Flanagan. The PPPP provides general educational information designed to promote positive parenting practices, but this podcast should not be considered your final source of professional advice. If you have questions about specific parenting or care taking scenarios, we recommend that you meet with a professional who can help you address the unique situations that you’re facing in your life.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1029/thumbnail.jp

Divorce and Shared Parenting

Getting a divorce isn’t part of the fairy tale family story. No one who gets romantically connected and has children plans on getting divorced. In this PPPP episode, Dr. John and Dr. Sara discuss the divorced children’s bill of rights. In the process, they provide information to help parents make positive family adjustments to a divorce and shared parenting situation. If you want to hear John’s “Stupid-Ass Parenting Class” story, Sara’s rules on post-divorce dating, and the polarized parenting syndrome, you should listen to this episode. This podcast is brought to you by the National Parenting Education Network, and the Charles Engelhard Foundation.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1007/thumbnail.jp

How Parents Can Help Children Deal with Grief

In our last podcast Dr. Sara and Dr. John, teamed up with Dr. Tina Barrett from Tamarack Grief Resource Center as we answered some questions about how to talk about death. This week, we go from talking to doing, as we invite Dr. Tina back, this time to discuss how parents can help children deal with grief. After Dr. Sara and Dr. John check in on each other’s grief memories, Dr. Tina shares more of her infinite wisdom on how we, as practically perfect parents, can help support our kids through grief. From emotional regulation to behavior, Dr. Tina describes what’s normal for grieving families, and how to cope with complex and difficult grief experiences. This podcast is brought to you by the Charles Engelhard Foundation, and the National Parenting Education Network. If you would like to be a sponsor please let us know! Resources mentioned in this podcast: Why Do People Die? Helping Your Child Understand-With Love and Illustrations By: Cynthia MacGregor The Dougy Center in Portland Oregon.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1013/thumbnail.jp

The Challenges of Step-Parenting

Step-parenting is like walking a tightrope. You don’t want to be in the biological parent’s shadow, but, at the same time, you know if you try taking over as mother or father, you’re rocking a family boat that’s already unstable. Also, you want to be loved and respected, but you know love and respect don’t happen instantly. In this podcast, Dr. Sara and Dr. John talk about four big step-parenting challenges and offer tips and resources to help make it so step-parents don’t fall off their parenting tightrope. This podcast is brought to you by the National Parenting Education Network, and the Charles Engelhard Foundation.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1005/thumbnail.jp

Practically Perfect Positive Discipline Part 2

Practically Perfect Positive Discipline Part 2. When a child misbehaves, parents often just react. Sometimes these reactions come in ways that we regret later. How do we stop reacting to bad behavior and doing the things that just don\u27t work? This podcast picks up with strategies for parents to use when dealing with children and behaviors that are less than ideal. This allows us to keep our calm when children act out. This episode is brought to you by the National Parenting Education Network, Families First, and The Charles Engelhard Foundation.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1002/thumbnail.jp

When Teens Talk Back

In this episode, Dr. Sara decides to consult with Dr. John about her hypothetical “friend’s” teenage and pre-teen boys, who coincidently, happen to be the same ages as Sara’s own children. Other than being a disastrously bad consultant, John ends up complaining about how disrespectful our culture is toward teens. This leads Sara and John to affirm that, instead of lowering the expectation bar for teens, we should re-focus on what’s great about teenage brains. Overall, this turns out to be a celebration of all the great things about teenagers . . . along with a set of guidelines to help parents be positive and firm. Specific techniques discussed include limit-setting, do-overs, methods for helping teenagers calm down, role modeling, and natural, but small consequences. This podcast is brought to you by the Charles Engelhard Foundation, and the National Parenting Education Network. Resources mentioned in the Podcast: Positive Discipline for Teenagers By Jane Nelsen & Lynn Lotthttps://scholarworks.umt.edu/practicallyperfectparenting_podcast/1010/thumbnail.jp