Children’s Thinking about Family Characteristics and Parent Attributes

Children (N = 61; 31 boys. 30 girls) from prcschools, first grades, and fourth grades were interviewed on their thinking about family and parental roles. Older children were more likely than younger children to recognize the multiple roles of parents and the multiple functions of a family, as well as the interrelationships between these factors. Qualitative analyses of the children’s responses clarify some of the assumed developmental differences in children’s thinking on family and parental concepts.