Parents' Executive Functioning and Involvement in Their Child's Education: An Integrated Literature Review

Parental executive functions and motivations unveil variations in young children's screen media use

BACKGROUND

The increased screen media use among children aged 3 to 5, particularly in the post-COVID era, is concerning. Despite several organizations' recommendation of a one-hour screen limit for young children, actual usage often exceeds this guideline.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the influence of parental characteristics such as self-efficacy, motivation, socioeconomic status, and cognitive abilities on children's screen time habits.

METHODS

Employing a feature selection model, 251 caregivers answered an online survey, presenting data from themselves and on-screen usage for 126 girls and 125 boys. We found that the caregiver's executive functions, including cognitive flexibility, initiation, task monitoring, and material organization, significantly impact children's screen time.

RESULTS

Our analysis highlighted the vital role of caregivers' self-efficacy in moderating children's screen usage. Family net income, children's age and gender, and motivations related to children's desires and behavioral control were also significant contributors to usage patterns.

CONCLUSION

This study offers insights into interventions and effective parenting strategies in the digital age, highlighting the importance of addressing socio-demographic factors in understanding this complex issue.

Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic for children with ADHD and/or ASD: a European multi-center study examining the role of executive function deficits and age

BACKGROUND

One of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences that has affected families the most is school lockdowns. Some studies have shown that distance learning has been especially challenging for families with a child with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD or ASD. However, previous studies have not taken the heterogeneity of these disorders into account. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate differences between families with a child with ADHD, ASD, or both conditions, and to examine the role of underlying deficits in executive functioning (EF) in both children and parents in relation to negative and positive effects of distance learning.

METHODS

Survey data assessing both negative and positive experiences of distance learning were collected from parents with a child aged 5-19 years in seven Western European countries: the UK, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium. Altogether, the study included 1010 families with a child with ADHD and/or ASD and an equally large comparison group of families with a child without mental health problems. We included measures of three different types of negative effects (i.e., effects on the child, effects on the parent, and lack of support from school) and positive effects on the family.

RESULTS

Results confirmed that families with a child with ADHD, ASD or a combination of ADHD and ASD showed higher levels of both negative and positive effects of distance learning than the comparison group. However, few differences were found between the clinical groups. Group differences were more pronounced for older compared to younger children. Regarding the role of both ADHD/ASD diagnosis and EF deficits, primarily children's EF deficits contributed to high levels of negative effects. Parent EF deficits did not contribute significantly beyond the influence of child EF deficits. Families of children with ADHD/ASD without EF deficits experienced the highest levels of positive effects.

CONCLUSIONS

School closings during COVID-19 have a major impact on children with EF problems, including children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The present study emphasizes that schools should not focus primarily on whether a student has a neurodevelopmental disorder, but rather provide support based on the student's individual profile of underlying neuropsychological deficits.

Development of executive functions in Lebanese children

The current study focused on adapting EF tests for children to the Arabic language and examine the developmental trajectories of a sample of school-aged Lebanese children in four domains of EF (inhibition, flexibility, working memory, and planning). It also focused on examining the effects of gender and parental education level on EF performance. The study population included 100 Lebanese children aged from 6 to 12-years old who were grouped and comparable for age, gender, and parental level of education. Results revealed a main effect of age and level of education of parents while the effect of gender was non-significant.

Immigrant Women's Experiences as Mothers in the United States: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Immigrant mothers are raising an increasing proportion of the population of children in the United States.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review was to explore existing research on immigrant women's experiences of being mothers in the United States and identify key concepts, gaps in the literature, and implications for future research that builds on the strengths of immigrant women while addressing their unique challenges.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In this scoping review, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, JUSTOR, and PsycINFO databases were searched using a combination of applicable key words.

RESULTS

Twenty-two articles were selected. Few studies were identified. Analyses revealed a broad array in purpose, populations, theoretical frameworks, settings, study instruments, and practices, making comparison difficult. Although mothering is a universal experience among women who have children, little is known about the broad experiences of immigrant women from different cultures.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Immigrant mothers are not a monolithic group. More research is needed to provide a deeper understanding of strengths, challenges, and solutions of various immigrant groups, which can facilitate development of nursing interventions that support immigrant women and their children in the United States, and strengthen their families.