Sleep problems have been estimated to affect up to 2 in 5 children during the elementary school years and are associated with a range of poorer child health and education outcomes as well as parent outcomes.¹ One common association demonstrated in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies is the link between child sleep problems and behavioral difficulties, such as internalizing and externalizing difficulties.² However, the directionality of this association over time and whether there are differences based on the type of behavioral difficulties that children may experience are poorly understood. Addressing this knowledge gap will provide valuable information to inform the focus and timing of interventions aiming to improve children’s sleep and behavior during the elementary school years.

The benefits of early shared book reading between parents and children have long been established,yet the same cannot be said for early shared music activities in the home. This study investigated the parent–child home music activities in a sample of 3031 Australian children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study. Frequency of shared home music activities was reported by parents when children were 2–3 years and a range of social, emotional,and cognitive outcomes were measured by parent and teacher report and direct testing two years later when children were 4–5 years old. A series of regression analyses (controlling for a set of important socio-demographic variables) found frequency of shared home music activities to have a small significant partial association with measures of children’s vocabulary, numeracy, attentional and emotional regulation, and prosocial skills. We then included both book reading and shared home music activities in the same models and found that frequency of shared home music activities maintained small partial associations with measures of prosocial skills, attentional regulation, and numeracy. Our findings suggest there may be a role for parent-child home music activities in supporting children’s development

This article documents the longitudinal and reciprocal relations among behavioral sleep problems and emotional and attentional self-regulation in a population sample of 4,109 children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)–Infant Cohort. Maternal reports of children’s sleep problems and self-regulation were collected at five time-points from infancy to 8–9 years of age. Longitudinal structural equation modeling supported a developmental cascade model in which sleep problems have a persistent negative effect on emotional regulation, which in turn contributes to ongoing sleep problems and poorer attentional regulation in children over time. Findings suggest that sleep behaviors are a key target for interventions that aim to improve children’s self-regulatory capacities.

This study examined bidirectional relationships between maternal feeding practices and child food responsiveness and satiety responsiveness from 2 to 5 years. Mothers (N = 207) reported their own feeding practices and child eating behaviours using validated questionnaires at child ages 2, 3.7, and 5 years. Cross-lagged analyses were conducted to test for bidirectional effects, adjusting for child BMI z-score (based on measured weight and height) at 14 months. Eating behaviours and feeding practices showed strong continuity across the three time points. Maternal feeding practices (higher reward for behaviour [β = 0.12, p = 0.025] and lower covert restriction [β = −0.14, p = 0.008]) were prospectively associated with higher food responsiveness. Conversely, increased child satiety responsiveness was primarily prospectively associated with mothers’ feeding practices (increased structured meal timing [β = 0.11, p = 0.038], overt [β = 0.14, p = 0.010] and covert restriction [β = 0.11, p = 0.022]). The only exception was family meal setting, which was prospectively negatively associated with satiety responsiveness (β = −0.11, p = 0.035). While maternal feeding practices and child satiety and food responsiveness show strong continuity between child age 2 and 5 years, maternal feeding practices appear to be associated with child food responsiveness over time. Conversely, child satiety responsiveness, but not food responsiveness, may also be associated with maternal feeding practices over time. These results are consistent with interventions that provide feeding advice to parents on how to respond appropriately to individual child eating behaviour phenotype. ACTRN12608000056392 . Registered 29 January 2008.

The effectiveness of a 10-week group music therapy program for marginalized parents and their children aged 0—5 years was examined. Musical activities were used to promote positive parent—child relationships and children's behavioral, communicative and social development. Participants were 358 parents and children from families facing social disadvantage, young parents or parents of a child with a disability. Significant improvements were found for therapist-observed parent and child behaviors, and parent-reported irritable parenting, educational activities in the home, parent mental health and child communication and social play skills. This study provides evidence of the potential effectiveness of music therapy for early intervention.