Play and maternal self concept

Abstract

Mother evaluation and child self-regard are closely related. For example, parents of underachievers have stronger negative attitudes toward their children than do parents of achievers. Boys and girls whose parents describe them as capable usually have a positive self-image. Parents who feel opposed, rejected, and incapable tend to produce children who undervalue themselves (Shaw, 1965; Schwartz, 1967). Most school projects have sought to resolve the phenomena of undervalued self and low achievement by removing children from their homes at an ever earlier age and for longer periods of time. Programs of this type seldom make provisions for meaningful parental involvement and imply that low income mothers are incapable of developing positive selfregard in their children. The fact that a youngster seeks to be like his mother through identification and introjection of her personality has been seen as a stubborn obstacle rather than as an educational possibility (Strom 1969, 1974). The aproach we will describe advocates elevating the child's self-impression by enhancing his mother's confidence as a teacher rather than by removing him from the home. Given the longstanding belief that maternal self-concept is fixed and the traditional attitude toward the parental role in education, one might suppose the educational task to be insurmountable. However, data support the view that self-concept is continually changing. Granted, qualities of the self are shaped to a large extent in infancy and early childhood, but most individuals retain sufficient flexibility so that the self continues to be shaped throughout life (Hamachek, 1971). If there is a critical relationship among selfconcept, achievement, and mental health, and if children assess their worth largely in terms of the relationship with mother, it would seem imperative that in some families steps be initiated to alter maternal self-impression. This process might begin by studying the dynamics of intrafamily assessment (Greathouse, 1972; Sawicki, 1972; Strom, 1974).