New Materials: Child and Family Development :: November 21st, 2009

1. The parents we mean to be : how well-intentioned adults undermine children's moral and emotional development / Richard Weissbourd
   Through the author's own original field research, a surprising picture of the moral development of children emerges to confirm that parents' intense focus on their children's happiness is turning many children into self-involved, fragile conformists who feel ashamed when they fail to measure up. He posits that parents' challenge is not to teach morality, but first, "to help children deal with the emotions, such as the fear of being a pariah or a 'loser,' that cause them to transgress," and, secondly, " to help children develop a deep commitment to these values, a commitment that can override other needs and goals. The issue isn't moral literady; it's moral motivation. ... Appreciaton brakes destructive impulses." Finally, "a third challenge is to develop in children a strong sense of self -- so that they can withstand adversity in the service of moral goals -- and to ingrain in children from early ages the habits of attending to and caring for others."
2. The American teenager / Robin Bowman, portraits + interviews ; afterword by Robert Coles
3. The secret lives of boys : inside the raw emotional world of male teens / Malina Saval
4. Boyhoods : rethinking masculinities / Ken Corbett
5. Babysitter : an American history / Miriam Forman-Brunell
6. Handbook of peer interactions, relationships, and groups / edited by Kenneth H. Rubin, William M. Bukowski, Brett Laursen
   "Experiences with peers have a tremendous impact on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. Yet until now, no single volume has synthesized the growing body of knowledge on peer relations from infancy through adolescence. This comprehensive, authoritative handbook fills that gap. Leading researchers cover the breadth of theories, methods, and empirically based findings on the dynamics of peer interactions and relationships and their crucial role in children's well-being and adjustment." "This timely reference belongs on the shelves of developmental, clinical, school, and educational psychologists; counselors; and other researchers and practitioners interested in socioemotional development. IT will serve as a highly informative text in graduate-level courses."--BOOK JACKET