Volume 25, Issue 97 (7-2025)
refahj 2025, 25(97): 135-166 |
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Ethics code: IR.IAU.KHUISF.REC.1403.134
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akbari M, bahramipour M. (2025). The Effectiveness of Happy Children Strategy Training Skills, Social Internet, Independence and Sense of Beloneging of 10-12 Years Old Children. refahj. 25(97), : 5 doi:10.32598/refahj.25.97.4953.1
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4388-en.html
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4388-en.html
Keywords: strategy training for happy children, parenting skills, social interest, independence, sense of belonging, 10-12 year old children
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Extended Abstract
Introduction
Since children are considered capital for the family, society and country, their development, growth, health and well-being always require serious attention (Ayrizah et al., 2022). Stearns (2019) described happiness as a bottom-up process in which happiness is dependent on situations and events in life that contribute to pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Alfred Adler and Rudolph Draykours have done the most research in the field of parenting methods, which emphasize on improving communication patterns between parents and children and using democratic techniques to raise children (Etminan, 2017). Since parenting is one of the important topics in raising children, parenting skills are a set of behaviors that describe parent-child interactions during a wide range of situations and focus on the child in an effective interactive atmosphere. (Clarkson and Zerel, 2018). Draykurs (2018) believes that a child finds his place at home, school, and the world by having social interest. Therefore, social interest as a variable that is influenced by parents’ education (vasiou et al., 2023). A child who has independence feels in control of his actions, his decisions, and also feels the ability to shape his world (Weir, 2023). As Mikkelsen and Christensen (2009) stated, independence refers more to the child’s feeling about what he does alone and feels empowered by it. According to Adler, a person can function, participate and cooperate properly in the community only if he feels that he belongs to that community (Allen et al., 2021) because belonging is usually understood as a positive state that children need and want. achieve it (Maine et al., 2021). Finally, according to Adler and Drycourse, the most important point in raising a child is the correct process of interaction between parents and children, and the goal of happy children’s strategies is to help parents educate their children more efficiently, to learn what to do and what not to do at the moment of bad behavior. Don’t give up and also learn that there are other ways instead of the idea of “surrender or fight”. Partnership, mutual respect and joint decision-making are possible options. As a result, not only the parents will be happier, but also the children will be happy (Dreikurs and Solts, 1995, translated by Alizadeh and Rouhi; Scofield and Weaver, 2016).
Method
This study employed a quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups, featuring pre-test, post-test, and 45-day follow-up assessments. The target population consisted of parents of children aged 10-12 years in Isfahan. Using convenience sampling, 40 participants were selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (20 per group). Measurement instruments included: (1) the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire , (2) the Children’s Social Interest Scale (Alizadeh et al., 2014), (3) the Emotional Autonomy Scale (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), and (4) the Sense of Belonging Instrument (Parker et al., 1979). The experimental group participated in 10 training sessions based on Schofield and Weaver’s Happy Children Strategy program. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 26.
Findings
The analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between: (1) mean parenting skills scores and their components, (2) mean social interest scores and their components, (3) mean children’s independence scores and their components, and (4) mean sense of belonging scores and their components across all research phases. Furthermore, significant interaction effects were observed between time (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) and group membership (experimental vs. control) for all measured variables.
Discusion
Teaching the strategy of happy children explicitly and openly helps people to acquire protective coping resources such as self-confidence, self-control, self-acceptance, other acceptance and normal processes to achieve a better lifestyle. In such a way that this treatment, by encouraging and encouraging, emphasizing the strengths and social feelings resulting from Adlerian therapy, causes the cognitive and behavioral coping resources of parents and children to expand and their self-care and overall satisfaction to increase (Amiri, 2016). The feeling of encouragement created through teaching the strategy of happy children causes the parents to transfer this feeling and understanding to their children, and these children, by benefiting from it, improve their cognitive processing and, as a result, improve their parenting skills, social interest, independence, emotional Show belonging In addition, the goal of teaching the strategy of happy children is to help people to achieve an objective view of reality by correcting wrong goals and processes and wrong logic. Therefore, the strategy of happy children emphasizes that therapists should familiarize clients with private logic that is derived from an inappropriate lifestyle and then help people to change them by being aware of their self-destructive patterns and through interpretation And appropriate reorientations can increase the sense of belonging, social interest and independence in children or strengthen their parenting skills.
All three authors contributed to this article.
Financial and Ethical considerations
We are grateful for the sincere cooperation of 10-12 year old children and their parents The researchers’ personal expenses have been used to implement this plan. and al Ethical considerations have been observed during the research. All authors contribute to research production. The present study has no financial sponsor No conflict of interest between the authors.
References:
Introduction
Since children are considered capital for the family, society and country, their development, growth, health and well-being always require serious attention (Ayrizah et al., 2022). Stearns (2019) described happiness as a bottom-up process in which happiness is dependent on situations and events in life that contribute to pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Alfred Adler and Rudolph Draykours have done the most research in the field of parenting methods, which emphasize on improving communication patterns between parents and children and using democratic techniques to raise children (Etminan, 2017). Since parenting is one of the important topics in raising children, parenting skills are a set of behaviors that describe parent-child interactions during a wide range of situations and focus on the child in an effective interactive atmosphere. (Clarkson and Zerel, 2018). Draykurs (2018) believes that a child finds his place at home, school, and the world by having social interest. Therefore, social interest as a variable that is influenced by parents’ education (vasiou et al., 2023). A child who has independence feels in control of his actions, his decisions, and also feels the ability to shape his world (Weir, 2023). As Mikkelsen and Christensen (2009) stated, independence refers more to the child’s feeling about what he does alone and feels empowered by it. According to Adler, a person can function, participate and cooperate properly in the community only if he feels that he belongs to that community (Allen et al., 2021) because belonging is usually understood as a positive state that children need and want. achieve it (Maine et al., 2021). Finally, according to Adler and Drycourse, the most important point in raising a child is the correct process of interaction between parents and children, and the goal of happy children’s strategies is to help parents educate their children more efficiently, to learn what to do and what not to do at the moment of bad behavior. Don’t give up and also learn that there are other ways instead of the idea of “surrender or fight”. Partnership, mutual respect and joint decision-making are possible options. As a result, not only the parents will be happier, but also the children will be happy (Dreikurs and Solts, 1995, translated by Alizadeh and Rouhi; Scofield and Weaver, 2016).
Method
This study employed a quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups, featuring pre-test, post-test, and 45-day follow-up assessments. The target population consisted of parents of children aged 10-12 years in Isfahan. Using convenience sampling, 40 participants were selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (20 per group). Measurement instruments included: (1) the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire , (2) the Children’s Social Interest Scale (Alizadeh et al., 2014), (3) the Emotional Autonomy Scale (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), and (4) the Sense of Belonging Instrument (Parker et al., 1979). The experimental group participated in 10 training sessions based on Schofield and Weaver’s Happy Children Strategy program. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 26.
Findings
The analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between: (1) mean parenting skills scores and their components, (2) mean social interest scores and their components, (3) mean children’s independence scores and their components, and (4) mean sense of belonging scores and their components across all research phases. Furthermore, significant interaction effects were observed between time (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) and group membership (experimental vs. control) for all measured variables.
Discusion
Teaching the strategy of happy children explicitly and openly helps people to acquire protective coping resources such as self-confidence, self-control, self-acceptance, other acceptance and normal processes to achieve a better lifestyle. In such a way that this treatment, by encouraging and encouraging, emphasizing the strengths and social feelings resulting from Adlerian therapy, causes the cognitive and behavioral coping resources of parents and children to expand and their self-care and overall satisfaction to increase (Amiri, 2016). The feeling of encouragement created through teaching the strategy of happy children causes the parents to transfer this feeling and understanding to their children, and these children, by benefiting from it, improve their cognitive processing and, as a result, improve their parenting skills, social interest, independence, emotional Show belonging In addition, the goal of teaching the strategy of happy children is to help people to achieve an objective view of reality by correcting wrong goals and processes and wrong logic. Therefore, the strategy of happy children emphasizes that therapists should familiarize clients with private logic that is derived from an inappropriate lifestyle and then help people to change them by being aware of their self-destructive patterns and through interpretation And appropriate reorientations can increase the sense of belonging, social interest and independence in children or strengthen their parenting skills.
All three authors contributed to this article.
Financial and Ethical considerations
We are grateful for the sincere cooperation of 10-12 year old children and their parents The researchers’ personal expenses have been used to implement this plan. and al Ethical considerations have been observed during the research. All authors contribute to research production. The present study has no financial sponsor No conflict of interest between the authors.
References:
Alizadeh, H.; Ismaili, K; and Sohaili, F. (2014). Psychometric properties (factorial structure and reliability) of social interest scale for Iranian children aged 4 to 12 years. Educational Measurement Quarterly, 5(19): 50-65. (In persian) https://doi.org/10.22054/jem.2015.3971
Allen, K., Gray, D. L. L., Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2021). The Need to Belong: a Deep Dive into the Origins, Implications, and Future of a Foundational Construct. Educational Psychology Review, 34(2), 1133–1156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09633-6
Amiri. M(2016). Effectiveness of Parent Behavioral Training on Hyperactivity/ Impulsivity and Rule-Breaking Behaviors in Children with ADHD (Hyperactivity-Impulsivity Domain Type). Quarterly Research in psychological health; 9 (4):90-101(In persian) http://rph.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2604-en.html
Ayriza, Y., Izzaty, R. E., Romadhani, R. K., Oktaviani, F., & Wicaksono, B. (2022). Exploring the meaning of happiness of middle childhood children. Children and Youth Services Review, 143, 106659. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106659
Christian D.D., Perryman, K.L. (2017). Improving the parent-adolescent relationship with adventure-based counceling: An Adlerian perspective. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counceling, 3, 44-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2017.1281693
Clarkson, A., & Zierl, L. (2018). An online parenting program grows digital parenting skills and parent–school connection. The Journal of Extension, 56(5), 6. DOI:https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.56.05.06
DreiKurs,R. (2018). The challenges of parenthood. New York: hawthome Books Inc. https://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Parenthood-Rudolf-Dreikurs/dp/0801511836
Drycourse, red. and Solts, V. (1995). Happy children (child rearing strategies and improving parent-child relationship). Translated by Hamid Alizadeh and Alireza Rouhi (2019). Tehran: Arsbaranin (In persian) https://psybooks.ir/product/کتاب-کودکان-خوشبخت/
Etminan, M. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders in children. Iranian Quarterly Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (fourth year), number 14, pp. 8-17. (In persian) https://psyj.ir/afile/8-17M.E.pdf
Maine, F., Brummernhenrich, B., Chatzianastasi, M., Juškienė, V., Lähdesmäki, T., Castells, N., & Peck, J. (2021). Children’s exploration of the concepts of home and belonging: Capturing views from five European countries. International Journal of Educational Research, 110, 101876. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101876
Mikkelsen, M. R., & Christensen, P. (2009). Is children’s independent mobility really independent? A study of children’s mobility combining ethnography and GPS/mobile phone technologies. Mobilities, 4(1), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450100802657954
Parker G, Tupling, H and Brown LB. (1979). A parental bonding instrument. Br J Med Psychol. 52: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8341.1979.tb02487.x
Schofield, T. J., & Weaver, J. M. (2016). Democratic parenting beliefs and observed parental sensitivity: Reciprocal influences between coparents. Journal of Family Psychology, 30(4), 509–515. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000166
Stearns, P. N. (2019). Happy children: A modern emotional commitment. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02025
Steinberg, L., & Silverberg, S. B. (1986). The vicissitudes of autonomy in early adolescence. Child Development, 57(4), 841–851. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1986.tb00250.x
Vasiou, A., Kassis, W., Krasanaki, A., Aksoy, D., Favre, C. A., & Tantaros, S. (2023). Exploring parenting styles patterns and children’s socio-emotional skills. Children, 10(7), 1126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071126
Weir, H. (2023). Children’s autonomous mobility and their well-being. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 4, 100134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2023.100134
Allen, K., Gray, D. L. L., Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2021). The Need to Belong: a Deep Dive into the Origins, Implications, and Future of a Foundational Construct. Educational Psychology Review, 34(2), 1133–1156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09633-6
Amiri. M(2016). Effectiveness of Parent Behavioral Training on Hyperactivity/ Impulsivity and Rule-Breaking Behaviors in Children with ADHD (Hyperactivity-Impulsivity Domain Type). Quarterly Research in psychological health; 9 (4):90-101(In persian) http://rph.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2604-en.html
Ayriza, Y., Izzaty, R. E., Romadhani, R. K., Oktaviani, F., & Wicaksono, B. (2022). Exploring the meaning of happiness of middle childhood children. Children and Youth Services Review, 143, 106659. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106659
Christian D.D., Perryman, K.L. (2017). Improving the parent-adolescent relationship with adventure-based counceling: An Adlerian perspective. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counceling, 3, 44-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2017.1281693
Clarkson, A., & Zierl, L. (2018). An online parenting program grows digital parenting skills and parent–school connection. The Journal of Extension, 56(5), 6. DOI:https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.56.05.06
DreiKurs,R. (2018). The challenges of parenthood. New York: hawthome Books Inc. https://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Parenthood-Rudolf-Dreikurs/dp/0801511836
Drycourse, red. and Solts, V. (1995). Happy children (child rearing strategies and improving parent-child relationship). Translated by Hamid Alizadeh and Alireza Rouhi (2019). Tehran: Arsbaranin (In persian) https://psybooks.ir/product/کتاب-کودکان-خوشبخت/
Etminan, M. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders in children. Iranian Quarterly Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (fourth year), number 14, pp. 8-17. (In persian) https://psyj.ir/afile/8-17M.E.pdf
Maine, F., Brummernhenrich, B., Chatzianastasi, M., Juškienė, V., Lähdesmäki, T., Castells, N., & Peck, J. (2021). Children’s exploration of the concepts of home and belonging: Capturing views from five European countries. International Journal of Educational Research, 110, 101876. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101876
Mikkelsen, M. R., & Christensen, P. (2009). Is children’s independent mobility really independent? A study of children’s mobility combining ethnography and GPS/mobile phone technologies. Mobilities, 4(1), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450100802657954
Parker G, Tupling, H and Brown LB. (1979). A parental bonding instrument. Br J Med Psychol. 52: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8341.1979.tb02487.x
Schofield, T. J., & Weaver, J. M. (2016). Democratic parenting beliefs and observed parental sensitivity: Reciprocal influences between coparents. Journal of Family Psychology, 30(4), 509–515. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000166
Stearns, P. N. (2019). Happy children: A modern emotional commitment. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02025
Steinberg, L., & Silverberg, S. B. (1986). The vicissitudes of autonomy in early adolescence. Child Development, 57(4), 841–851. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1986.tb00250.x
Vasiou, A., Kassis, W., Krasanaki, A., Aksoy, D., Favre, C. A., & Tantaros, S. (2023). Exploring parenting styles patterns and children’s socio-emotional skills. Children, 10(7), 1126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071126
Weir, H. (2023). Children’s autonomous mobility and their well-being. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 4, 100134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2023.100134
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Received: 2024/09/1 | Accepted: 2025/04/21 | Published: 2025/07/6
Received: 2024/09/1 | Accepted: 2025/04/21 | Published: 2025/07/6
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