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We explored the factors associated with the stress signs among children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Although children showed increased stress signs, they also showed increased development of good behavioral traits during this period. Parenting styles were significantly correlated with the psychological and physical stresses experienced by children. While a punitive parenting style had significant correlations with increased psychological and physical stress, a warm and permissive parenting style had positive correlations with increased good behavioral traits and behaviors of children even during the pandemic. Social support enhanced mothers’ self-esteem and positive perceptions among children. These findings provide us with important clues to support families, during the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article substantiates the relevance of the introduction into psychological science and practice of the phenomenon of «reflexive portrait of personality». Theoretically and empirically the concept of «reflexive portrait of personality» (on the example of mothers raising children of preschool age) is justified. The respondents in the empirical study were women aged 20 to 35 years. Based on the results of the empirical study, the reflexive profiles of respondents are presented, allowing them to quantitatively see the severity of certain indicators of protective reflection. Qualitative (descriptive) characteristics of a profile are reflected in reflexive portraits of respondents. The diagnostic tools were the projective test «Cognitive-emotive test» (Orlov Yu.M., Morozyuk S.N.), the activity reflection test (Shadrikov V.D., Kurginyan S.S., Kuznetsova M.D.), the questionnaire «Differential type of reflection» (Leontiev D.A., Lapteva E.M., Osin E.N.), the test-questionnaire of parental attitude (Varga A.Ya., Stolin V.V.) and the questionnaire for parents «Analysis of family relationships» (Еidemiller E.G., Justitskis V.V.). Based on the data of an empirical study reflexive portraits of mothers with the style of parental attitude «Acceptance» are presented (A.Ya. Varga, V.V. Stolin). The description shows the reflexive strategies and tactics of the mother’s behavior in the process of communicating with the child. The authors of the article suggest a Protocol for a sanogenic session and an algorithm for consulting with mothers.

In this article, I investigate preschool children’s participation in organised activities. Current political and academic debates consider informal education as a prime vehicle for potentially diminishing social class inequalities in educational outcomes before school entry. However, studies point to unequal participation rates between social classes, which means the activities might actually aggravate existing disparities. Various explanations have been offered for this social class gap. Some scholars argue that material resources play a pivotal role, while others say that culture is the decisive factor. This study uses the kindergarten cohort of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) to test how far these two dimensions contribute to social class differences in preschool children’s participation in organised activities. My analysis shows that both dimensions are important determinants of children’s participation in organized activities. However, occupational characteristics also have a considerable effect, which suggests shortcomings in the current scholarly discussion.

Influential studies in different countries over recent years show significant changes in child-rearing culture, or parenting practices and attitudes that are considered good and correct. Studies have also been conducted in Russia but so far, they have been few. Based on the analysis of existing studies, as well as 50 interviews with mothers of preschool age children conducted in 2014-2018, the paper examines the specifics of intensive parenthood. Among these features, we have identified the following: 1) intensive methods of upbringing (which require a lot of time, money and substantial emotional work), 2) parental determinism (the belief that all actions taken with the child and all decisions related to the upbringing of the child have an impact on the rest of the child’s life) and the attitude about the critical importance of early childhood, 3) optimization of the environment around the child, control over various aspects of the child’s life, 4) reliance on scientific and expert knowledge in upbringing, rather than on personal experience or tradition. These features of modern parents in Russia are important for effective communication between parents and teachers, as well as for the development of educational programs for parents implemented by preschool organizations. Such programs can become a support for parents in overcoming the difficulties caused by the modern model of child upbringing. It is particularly important to focus not on improving the skills and knowledge of parents but on increasing the self-efficacy of parents (i.e., ensuring that they are able to cope with possible problems rather than transmitting any knowledge) and reducing anxiety.

Using data from a sample of Chinese children (n = 297) aged 3–6 years in Beijing, we examined the characteristics of Chinese parenting styles and the relationship with children’s developmental outcomes. A 6-month follow-up study of 110 of the 297 participants further explored the long-term effect of parenting styles on children’s development. Results showed that: (a) the mean scores of the four dimensions of authoritative parenting were significantly higher than those in the four dimensions of authoritarian parenting; (b) democratic participation positively predicted children’s mathematics and science, and non-reasoning/punitive strategies negatively predicted children’s social-emotional and cognitive development in Wave 1; (c) in Wave 2, verbal hostility positively predicted children’s cognitive development, and directiveness positively predicted children’s social relations.

The article is devoted to preservation of national and cultural traditional elements in the families of the Moscow Armenian Diaspora. Having lived in non-ethnic society for centuries, Moscow Armenians seek to preserve their traditional culture and create all types of educational centers where they bring their children. The article is based on a survey conducted in the spiritual and outreach center called “Ayordeats Tun” among students and their parents in April 2016. The authors paid special attention to the questions of child rearing, to the language preferences in everyday communication and Armenian traditions. The authors examine the role of the parent state and the Armenian apostolic church in the development of the Armenian ethnicity. The key role in preserving national traditions in the Armenian family continues to be played by mothers whose task is to instill in her children love for their country and its culture. The survey results are presented and analyzed.

Violence against children is prevalent across all countries and cultures, with the burden of child injury and violence heaviest in low– and middle-income (LAMI) settings. There are several types of program to prevent child abuse, with family-based approaches to prevention being the most comprehensively researched and successful interventions in high-income settings. In LAMI countries, however, there is very little research evidence for the prevention of child abuse. We conducted a systematic search of relevant databases for studies published between 1995 and 2011 and the search revealed only one relevant study. There is thus a need for research into child maltreatment prevention in LAMI settings, taking account of local resources and contexts. In the light of the lack of evidence, we focus on two case studies that document the use of home visiting by community health workers perinatally to improve maternal and child outcomes. We propose four areas for action moving forward, including increased investment in early intervention and prevention programs, development of a research agenda that prioritizes prevention research, integration of implementation research into efforts to scale up interventions, and improving systematically collected information on child maltreatment.