Apartment Environments and Socialization of Young Children

Abstract

Interaction between the physical environment, parental attitudes, and socialization settings of young children were investigated. The specific problem related apartment residence on the first versus second floor to spatial location and supervision of children, as well as to maternal attitudes about housing and child rearing. Respondents were 67 mothers who lived in student apartments and who had children aged 30 to 66 months. Each mother kept records of child activity, location, and supervision and also completed a questionnaire that investigated child‐rearing attitudes and satisfaction with housing.Children living in second‐floor apartments were more restricted than those who lived on the first floor, especially during afternoon hours. Although the amount of parental supervision did not vary by floor level, first‐floor children had more contacts with other children and adults. These and other findings suggest that designers and owners of apartments as well as parents living in apartments need to consider possible effects of apartment living on the development of young children.