With many young adults moving back in with their parents in the wake of the economic recession, many parents and their children are attempting to navigate a unique family landscape.

In a new study, researchers studying this phenomenon have found somewhat discouraging results regarding the levels of family conflict between these young adults and their parents.

“We have worked with young people, in this case, in the family environment, to see what happens during the ‘full nest syndrome’, when children reach 18 years of age and they continue living at home,” said Beatriz Rodríguez, study researcher.

The study results indicate that there are more domestic disputes among young adults who continue to live at home with their parents compared to those who do not. Furthermore, the conflicts are more complicated than conflicts during teenage years.

School-related conflicts typical of teenage years are replaced by conflicts related to more personal or moral values concerning prospects for the future.

“There is dissociation between what mothers and fathers expect of their children in this evolutionary stage and what the emerging adults expect of themselves,” the researchers said. “In addition, there is a divide between social values and their personal expectations.”

One encouraging aspect of the study was that as the conflicts evolved, so did the resolution strategies. The young adults were able to develop more constructive strategies to resolve fights and were more willing to negotiate with their parents.

“From our perspective, we believe that a social policy is needed to help young adults leave their family homes,” Rodriguez said. “However, while the situation is what it is, parents should also recognise that their children are going through the transition to adulthood and understand that their social and cultural situation is different from the one that they lived.”

While teenagers are notorious for posting personal information on the internet, a new study reveals that parents are guilty of over-sharing as well.

University of Guelph researchers found that parents are just as likely as their kids to disclose personal information on Facebook.  Furthermore, mom and dad are just as susceptible to the need for internet popularity.

“Facebook is not just a phenomenon among young people,” said Emily Christofides, a PhD psychology student who was involved with the study.

“The online environment influences people of all ages. Both parents and teens share and show more about themselves than they might in other social settings, and the same psychological factors underpin that behaviour.”

The study involved 285 adults between the ages of 19 and 71, and 288 youths ages nine to 18.  While the results indicated that adolescents do reveal more than older users, it isn’t because they care less about privacy – it’s just because they spend more time on the site.

On average, teenagers spend 55 minutes a day on Facebook, compared to 38 minutes for adults.

In fact, the researchers say that adults were actually less conscious of the consequences of sharing personal information on Facebook.  For both teens and adults, spending more time on the site made people more likely to share.

Rather than age, it was the combination of less awareness of consequences and greater desire to belong that predicted more disclosure of personal information.

“Facebook is an environment that encourages people to share personal information,” Christofides said. “People with a high need for popularity may indeed care about their privacy, but they may not be willing to sacrifice their popularity by implementing privacy controls.”

“This is the new reality for some,” agreed Christofides’ fellow researcher, psychology professor Serge Desmarais. “Aspects of people’s lives that were once private are now open for all to see.”

The study was published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Think your smoking isn’t affecting your kids?  Think again.

According to a new study, mere exposure to secondhand smoke can spur symptoms of nicotine dependence in non-smoking pre-teens.

Not only that, the study also indicated that pre-teens who repeatedly observe a parent, sibling friend or neighbor smoking cigarettes are more likely to pick up the habit themselves as adolescents.

“Kids who see others smoking are more likely to take up the habit because they don’t perceive cigarettes as unhealthy,” said lead study author Simon Racicot, a PhD candidate in the Concordia University Department of Psychology and a member of its Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab.

“We found that kids who’d never smoked who were exposed to tobacco use were more likely to hold positive beliefs about [cigarettes],” Racicot added.  “These are the kids who are more likely to start smoking as teenagers.”

This study is the first to show that increased exposure to secondhand smoke can induce symptoms of nicotine dependence in children who have never smoked before.  Nicotine dependence symptoms include craving cigarettes and finding it hard to go without smoking.

“Early findings suggest that secondhand smoke exposure could possibly trigger addiction in the brain – before kids actually start smoking themselves,” explained senior author Jennifer McGrath, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Psychology and director of its Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab.

According to McGrath, 60 percent of children across North America are exposed to secondhand smoke.  The researchers recommend that new prevention efforts should be tailored to pre-teens who are highly exposed.

“When it comes to smoking around kids, the best thing a parent can do is to avoid exposing their kids to cigarettes and to secondhand smoke,” says Racicot. “A parent should step outside of their home or car to smoke. And the addictive habit should remain out of sight, out of breath and out of mind.”

The study was published in the Oxford journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

When faced with any sort of unstructured time, children are likely to get bored. They are also likely to let you know about it often! Summer is meant to be a time for rest and relaxation but also for exploring and education outside of the classroom. Here are some ideas for keeping your kids happily engaged this summer.

*Have a scavenger hunt in the house on a rainy day. Vary the clues depending on your children’s age. For younger children, use clues such as “Go to the room where you take a bath,” or “Go to the room with the blue walls.” For older children, use clues such as “This is the room where Dad watched the baseball game last night,” or “Find the room where Mom likes to read quietly.” The prize can be a gift certificate to a local bookstore or a new game the family can play together. Make sure everyone gets a prize or that it’s a team effort and everyone works together to find the prize. If not, you’ll be hearing “Not fair!” instead of “I’m bored!”

*Have a backyard camp out! Bring sleeping bags, tents, and build a fire. If you don’t have camping equipment, lay out an old sheet or blanket to sit on. Instead of telling ghost stories, have each family member tell a story about their favorite thing about your family. Don’t pressure your children to sleep outside, as they may be nervous or uncomfortable. Staying up late and having some special snacks is plenty fun! Just remember to use bug repellent so you don’t wake up with itchy campers in the morning!

*Use an old shoebox and create a special art box. Store all sorts of “extras” inside: buttons, scraps of paper, ribbon, washable markers and glue. Allow your children to create their own masterpiece on a piece of construction paper using all the materials inside the box. Make sure the items in the box are things your child can use independently. This way, your children can sit at the table and work while you make dinner or throw in a load of laundry. You can also use old magazines and cut out pictures to tell a story or re-create a family event.

These are just a few fun things you can do with your family this summer. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try something new. You can always have a family meeting afterward to discuss the pros and cons of your new, adventurous outing. The important thing to remember is relax and enjoy time together as a family, regardless of what you are doing.

It’s usually about this time when parents start to hear those dreaded words that inevitably come each summer. “I’m bored!” rings through houses across America and parents’ wells of ideas begin to run dry. The excitement of summer has started to wear off, play date pals are away on vacation, and our little swimmers are a bit water-logged. Though a loose daily schedule seems to provide endless opportunities for fun, parents everywhere are looking for quick and easy ways to break the monotony of summer. Here are a few “out of the box” ideas for keeping your children intrigued this summer.

*Call your local pet shelter and ask about volunteer opportunities. This may include a weekly trip to the shelter, handing out fliers for a pet rescue organization, or feeding the animals. Shelters likely have clear rules on who can volunteer and in what capacity, so check with them first before springing the idea on your children. If they don’t allow children to volunteer, bring your child to drop off bags of food or new toys for the animals. Seeing how much work it takes to care for a pet could also cure the constant requests for a puppy!

*Have a donation stand instead of a lemonade stand. Set up three jars for three different charities and generous neighbors can drop their donation in the jar of their choice. After your collection, have your children write a letter to accompany the donation when you send it off to the charity. They can also hang a “thank you” sign outside the house after the collections are completed.

*Have a family cook-off! Have each of your children choose a recipe to make. Invite family members or neighbors over for a taste and have them cast votes. Instead of first, second, and third place, which can surely hurt feelings, have categories such as most unique recipe, best presentation, and sweetest treat. Be sure to have a prize for each participant. Your local dollar store is a great place to pick up ribbons or small toys.

Remember, the key to keeping your children happily occupied is to provide a variety of activities. The activities don’t have to be grand trips or expensive outings. There are plenty of simple, cost-effective ways to spice up your routine summer days. Check back on Thursday for more ideas!

Couples having marital difficulties may also have another problem on their hands – infants who are losing sleep, according to a new study.

Oregon State University researchers found that marital instability when a child was nine months of age was related to sleep problems at 18 months of age.  These problems included both difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep.

“If sleep problems persist, this can correlate with problems in school, inattention and behavioral issues,” warned Anne Mannering, an Oregon State University faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, in a press release.

“Parents should be aware that stress in the marriage can potentially impact their child even at a very young age,” she added.

Mannering and her colleagues measured martal instability through surveys that asked questions such as “Has the thought of separating or getting a divorce crossed your mind?”

The researchers controlled for the possible role genes could play in sleep patterns and still found the same result.  They also took into account other factors such as birth order, parents’ anxiety and difficult infant temperament.

Meanwhile, the study did not find the reverse to be true: children’s sleep problems did not predict marital instability.

The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Child Development.