Time Management and Home-Based Parent Involvement in Head Start Families

Abstract

Head Start programs encourage parents’ involvement in children’s learning and development.  To help accomplish this objective, teachers in one program sent a developmentally appropriate activity, linked to the classroom curriculum, home each week for parents and children to do together.  This study used focus groups to examine how parents made the time to complete these “homework†activities and the obstacles they faced in doing so.

Parents (n = 22) reported using a variety of time management strategies and supports, described the obstacles they faced in managing time, and discussed the management of the homework activities themselves.  Although the results are limited by sample size and characteristics, this study adds to the very limited knowledge about time management strategies in low-income families.  Asking parents how they make time to be involved with their children may result in information that can be shared with other families struggling with this issue.