Teaching Mothers and Fathers About How Children Develop: Parenting Knowledge and Practices

Parenting knowledge has important implications for Positive Youth Development (PYD) as it is linked to the parenting practices that are promotive of positive child outcomes. This chapter reviews empirical evidence that has demonstrated that parenting knowledge is related to parenting practices, particularly literacy activities, discipline strategies, and family routines. This evidence suggests that parenting knowledge is a meaningful target of intervention. We then describe approaches to intervening on parenting knowledge and introduce a forthcoming intervention, which uses baby books with embedded anticipatory guidance in an effort to increase parenting knowledge and optimal parenting practices and thus promote positive child development.