Summarizes most widely supported findings concerning grandparents' transactions with their children and grandchildren, spotlighting areas for which there is little information (general demographic information, political behavior, and asset transfer from well-off elders to their descendants). Includes assessment of theoretical and methodological…

Collected data from 2,918 youths aged 12 to 24 and from 644 adolescents aged 13 to 17 to examine youths' bonds with parents and friends in Netherlands. Closeness of bond between youths and parents from first sample showed curvilinear patterns, with respondents in early adolescence and early adulthood experiencing more favorable parental relations…

Used data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine whether effects of nonresident father involvement on child well-being varied by race, mother's education, or whether child was born within or outside marriage. Results showed few interactive effects and no identifiable set of conditions emerged that increased or reduced importance of…

Interviews with eight parents of six adolescents with autism revealed the following themes in parents' experiences and family needs: behavioral concerns, social and communication concerns, family-related concerns, education and related services, relationships with professionals, and independence and future concerns. (Author/JDD)

Adult resilient child who is parent of three children (two with learning disabilities) briefly describes her own childhood and how she coped as a child. Author presents six guidelines she used in relationships with her own children and six amendments to guidelines brought about by her divorce. (NB)

The best gifts are those given by a deeply caring parent, a special relative, or a friend. Presents seldom last, but memories do. Parents are advised to create memories for their children this holiday season by giving them their time, caring, and love. Parents should make and keep promises to spend time with their children. (MLH)

A total of 41 hearing-impaired toddlers, 41 toddlers who could hear, and their mothers, all of whom could hear, were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation and during free play. Results suggest that development of a secure attachment and a good mother-toddler relationship does not depend on normal language development during the toddler years.…

Examined relationships between older parents and their adult children in qualitative study of 55 older widowed mothers. Found the older mother-adult child relationship may be characterized by a power differential, such that some older mothers feel subordinate to their adult children. Applies exchange theory. (Author/ABL)

Examined effects of family size on mother-child relationships in later life. Subjects were taken from national probability sample which included adults aged 35-55 (n=3,083) who had a living mother and women aged 60-79 (n=1,101) with at least one living child. Found generally positive relationship between number of siblings and favorable…

Among 300 families who adopted special-needs minority or mixed-race children, 22 percent of adoptions were transracial. Compared to inracial adoptees, transracial adoptees more often had handicaps or problem histories. Parent-child relationships did not differ between groups when adoptee problems were controlled. Contains 37 references. (Author/SV)

Investigation of oral adult-child interaction among Romani-speaking Gypsies in Hungary revealed that modifications typical of child-directed speech in other languages are also found in speech addressed to Gypsy children. It is argued that early introduction of children into particular ways of speaking reflects their importance for Gypsy culture…

Enumerates reasons why parents should read aloud to their children. (SR)

Shin-ichi Suzuki, founder of the Talent Education Movement and creator of the Sukuzi Method of musical training, responds to a variety of questions concerning his philosophy of life and lifelong education. (DMM)

Hypothesized that, compared to white adolescents, African-American adolescents maintain more intimate stance toward family, whereas friendships are less intense, and that African Americans perceive lower levels of peer pressure and are more tolerant of behavioral differences in friendships. Data from personal interviews with 942 adolescents lend…

Presents case summary involving survivors of suicide of 17-year-old child. Includes two therapists' comments on working with issues and dynamics described. One therapist suggests seeking entry into the family system through the father's difficulties. Another therapist recommends using the "Gandhi technique" or the intervention used by…