A major longitudinal study followed the children of divorced couples for 15 years. Although the researchers used no control group, they concluded that divorce contributes to early promiscuity in teenage girls, aggressiveness in teenage boys, and lowered academic motivation in both sexes. What are some problems with this conclusion? Popular parenting magazines portray the United States as a child-oriented society, generous and devoted to its children. Do you agree with this portrayal? Give at least two arguments (and preferably more) to support your opinion. Suppose that you are the parent in the two scenarios below. Based on information in the chapter on the various approaches to child rearing (including the Taking Psychology with You feature at the end of the chapter), give some questions you might ask yourself about each situation, and then say how you might effectively handle the situation.
1. At the playground, your five-year-old shoves another kid and takes away the child's toy.
2. You discover that your ten-year-old has taken $3.00 in coins from the jar where you keep spare change and hidden the money in her bureau drawer.