Raising Helpful Children: Exploring Conflict Between Goals and Practices in Euro-Heritage Socialization of Helping.

Luc Fairchild

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722998

Abstract

Helping others benefits both helper and helpee and is the basis for societal structures that promote collective well-being. Many parents Using a White, European-heritage “Constellation of practices” (UWEC), recognize the importance of raising a child who helps others. Yet UWEC children seem to take initiative to help with household work less, and in ways that benefit others less, than other children globally. It is important for future researchers to explore the phenomenon of many UWEC parents using practices that work against their explicit goals, and suggestions are made for future work, including better integration of cross-cultural evidence in developmental psychological study design. Better integrating evidence and exploring this conflict further would greatly advance our understanding of the socialization of helping, and may elucidate how much change is possible and advisable regarding how best to raise children to think and act in other-oriented ways that are beneficial for all.

Highlights

Many United States parents regard raising children who help others as important (Pew Research Center [PRC], 2014)
Though UWEC parents want to raise helpful children, these practices contrast with practices that are associated with children helping from their own initiative throughout development
It is likely that many UWEC parents are not aware, yet would change if they knew that there are parenting practices associated with children growing to help others with initiative in complex ways, and that participating in household work can be enriching for children (e.g., Rogoff, 2014; Coppens et al, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Many United States parents regard raising children who help others as important (Pew Research Center [PRC], 2014). Child and family well-being decreases if parents experience low PSE, which may result from a conflict between UWEC parent practices and values regarding children’s helping.

Results

Conclusion