Framing parenting

Framing: what is it?

Framing means making choices about how we present information:

• what we emphasise 

• how we explain things 

• what we leave unsaid.

It’s important because small changes to the way we present information can result in big changes in understanding and uptake of our information. 

Research by the FrameWorks Institute with more than 7500 Australians tells us that when it comes to information about parenting, culture interferes with the way people connect with that information. 

This cultural interference includes dominant views about parenting as: 

• something that comes naturally 

• an individual pursuit 

• a one-way thing done to children 

• something determined by the way a person’s own parents acted.

This thinking makes it hard for people to accept there are things that anyone can do to change parenting. It also means they’re less likely to seek help with parenting when they need it. And they’re more likely to feel judged when they don’t ‘measure up’ as parents. 

By reframing relevant messages about parenting, we can cut through some of this interference and get our messages about raising children to stick instead. 

For more:  

FrameWorks Institute – Australia 

Parenting Research Centre – Reframing Parenting

Framing: how to implementing it in raisingchildren.net.au content

The implementation of a framing approach at raisingchildren.net.au involves the following three actions: 

1. Assess our content in relation to the key frame of child development and wellbeing. 

2. Check for four unhelpful triggers. 

3. Consider the use of metaphor or translated metaphor as a framing device.

Note
These three actions will not be relevant to all content, and only some actions will be relevant to some content. The point of our framing implementation is to assess for and implement framing where relevant, not to add framing to all content. 

Note also that the FrameWorks Institute Australian project is broadly aimed at helping researchers, advocates and policymakers communicate more effectively about early child development and how policy and programs shape child development. We are adapting the recommendations of this project for use in our particular context, which is the effective communication of reliable, up-to-date, accessible and practical online information about raising children directly to parents and carers.

It’s important to recognise that there are some FrameWorks recommendations that are already embedded in raisingchildren.net.au philosophy and practice. These include the way we explain child development as a process that starts early and is shaped by relationships and interactions, and the way we avoid judgment of parents. 

Action 1: assess for healthy child development and wellbeing frame

This is about making sure that, where relevant, our primary emphasis is on what’s good for children’s development and why. 

This is important because FrameWorks Institute research indicates that an emphasis on what’s good for children gets people to care about what we’re saying, whereas an emphasis on effective (or ineffective) parenting skills can activate some unhelpful cultural models about parenting being natural, individualistic and pre-determined. 

This involves assessing whether a child development frame is relevant and/or present and adding or adjusting as appropriate. It doesn’t usually involve adding lots of extra words (if you find yourself adding lots of extra words, it might be a sign that the frame isn’t relevant in this instance!). 

For example, changes to the first section of Parents: looking after yourself show how to reframe away from parenting and towards raising children: 

WAS:

Parents and parenting

Parenting doesn’t always come naturally. All parents are working it out as they go along. All parents make mistakes and learn through experience. Parenting requires observation, understanding, persistence, imagination, patience, honesty and energy! 

It’s OK to feel confident about what you know. And it’s also OK to admit you don’t know and ask questions – often the ‘dumb’ questions are the best kind!

NOW:

Why looking after yourself is important for parents and carers

Raising children is an important job, and looking after yourself helps you do the job well. That’s because looking after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally gives you the energy you need to help your child grow and thrive.

Looking after yourself involves looking after your relationships, your health and your wellbeing.

When you’re focused on looking after babies or children, it’s easy to forget or run out of time to look after these parts of your life. But looking after yourself is worth it – it’s good for you and good for your child.

For example, a new callout in Dentist A-Z shows how to introduce a child development frame (as well as introducing the concept of help-seeking as the norm, see Action 2.2 below): 

Good dental health and habits in the early years lay the foundations for good dental and general health throughout life. Caring for your child’s teeth and taking your child to see a dentist in childhood is part of helping your child grow and develop well.

Action 2.1: check for unhelpful triggers - myths

This is about not using myths or negative statements to set up our messages. 

This is important because FrameWorks Institute research indicates the people misremember myths as true. It’s also the ‘don’t think of an elephant’ effect: by mentioning the things you don’t want people to think of, you remind them of the things you want them to forget. 

This involves looking for ‘myths’ and removing them. In some cases, they can be replaced with the positive message that we want to send. 

Note: sometimes ‘myths’ can be what we commonly understand as ‘urban myths’ – for example, ‘Bonding with newborns is instant and natural’. And sometimes they’re negative statements used to set up a positive message – for example, ‘Some people think that ADHD is caused by bad parenting. In reality ...’.

For example, here’s a callout from Enjoying time with your child: tips for building your relationship. The first sentence reminds people of the idea that children need special toys or experiences to develop: 

You don’t have to do fancy, expensive or unusual things with your child. Special time with your child can happen while you’re doing everyday things like folding the laundry. Or you can make time to go for walks together, play board games and so on. Just sharing happy experiences helps to build your relationship with your child.

It would be better to say what we want people to know. So the change here is simply to remove the first sentence: 

Special time with your child can happen while you’re doing everyday things like folding the laundry. Or you can make time to go for walks together, play board games and so on. Just sharing happy experiences helps to build your relationship with your child.

For example, here’s an old callout from Supporting LGBTIQ+ families in your community. The first sentence risks activating unhelpful ideas about gender identity, sexual orientation and parenting, even though we mention these ideas only to debunk them: 

Your age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or biological relationship to your children doesn’t affect your ability to parent effectively. It’s what you do that matters to your children. 

In this instance, the best option is to rewrite the callout so it just says what we want people to know (this rewrite also shifts the frame from effective parenting to what’s good for children): 

Children do well when they have parenting that’s nurturing, warm, sensitive, responsive and flexible. These are the things that matter to all children.

Note: when an important first aid, safety or other message depends for its accuracy on a specific statement about what not to do, this message needs to be retained as a 'don't' statement.  Here's an example from First aid for burns and scalds:  'Don’t apply ice, iced water, lotions, moisturisers, oil, ointments, butter or flour, creams or powders to the burn.' 

Action 2.2: check for unhelpful triggers – parenting as a struggle

This is about avoiding references to parenting as a ‘struggle’, as ‘hard’ and so on.  

This is important because ‘parenting as a struggle’ normalises the wrong thing – the struggle, not the support needed to overcome it. It also activates hopelessness: why seek to do something differently if it is inherently difficult? 

This involves checking for statements about parenting being hard or a struggle and: 

• removing them 

• adjusting them where relevant to emphasise parenting as an important job (rather than a hard one) 

• adjusting them to include help-seeking as the norm.

For example, the development trackers all contain the following message, which leads with help-seeking although it recognises that challenges might be part of the experience of raising children: 

And remember that part of looking after yourself is asking for help, especially if you’re feeling stressed, anxious or angry. There are many people who can support you and your toddler, including your partner, friends, relatives, child and family health nurse and GP.

For example, most of the Professionals A-Z articles contain the following callout. The callout emphasises the connection between help-seeking and healthy child development. This instance is from Allergy and immunology specialist: 

If your child has health or development concerns, health professionals like allergists are there to care for your child and help you understand your child’s condition and treatment. With the support and expertise of these professionals, you can help your child thrive.

Action 2.3: check for unhelpful triggers – infinite variability

This is about avoiding references to all children being unique. 

This is important because the suggestion that children are infinitely variable decreases support for public programs and shared practice – that is, if all children are unique and all need different things, there are no programs and practices that can possibly support all of them. 

This involves checking for references to children’s uniqueness and replacing these with an emphasis on the developmental processes, needs and beneficial experiences that are common to all children.  

For example, the first paragraph of the What to expect section in Movement and play: preschoolers used to begin by invoking the infinite variability trigger: 

Children of this age generally enjoy being active. But every preschooler is unique, and what your child can do depends a bit on his past experiences and opportunities. 

This trigger has been removed entirely so that the paragraph now emphasises commonality and explains differences in relation to preferences rather than immutable past experiences: 

Children of this age generally enjoy being active, although different children prefer different types of play and physical activity.

For example, this section on differing rates of development in Child development: the first 5 years focuses on commonalities and avoids references to 'normal' development, which can encourage unhelpful comparisons:

Child development: differences among children

Development happens in a similar order in most children, but skills might develop at different ages or times. For example, children usually learn to stand and then they learn to walk. But this development can happen any time between 8 and 18 months.

So if you’re wondering whether your child’s development is on track, just remember that development happens over time. Differences among children are usually nothing to worry about.

Action 2.4: check for unhelpful triggers – parenting comes naturally

This is about avoiding statements that imply parenting comes naturally or is instinctive. 

This is important because FrameWorks Institute research indicates that this way of thinking leads people to resist the idea that parenting practices can be improved. It also undermines support for evidence-based parenting resources. 

This involves checking for references to parenting being innate, instinctive or natural, and removing them. 

For example, Playing with newborns used to begin by invoking this trigger: 

About newborn babies and play 

You’re the best plaything for your newborn, and playing together is easy. All you need to get started is you and your baby.

Playing with your newborn isn’t about games and toys – it’s about the interactions between you and your baby. That’s why it’s enjoyable – and it’s only play if it’s fun. 

This has been removed and replaced with a child development frame: 

Playing with newborns: why it’s important 

Play is essential for your baby’s overall development, learning and wellbeing. 

Through play, your baby learns about the world around them and how they can interact with it. New play experiences also help parts of your baby’s brain connect and grow. And play that gets your baby moving builds muscles and motor skills.

Action 3: consider the use of metaphor for framing

This is about using tested metaphors to explain some of our information. The metaphors of relevance to our content are: 

• navigating – raising children can be like navigating choppy waters (where choppy waters are challenges like health, money and relationship problems, and so on), but lighthouses can help (where lighthouses are community, supports, services and so on) 

• serve and return – children develop through back-and-forth interactions with primary caregivers, like in games of tennis 

• brain architecture – the basic structure of the brain is built through a process that starts before birth and continues through childhood and adolescence.

This is important because metaphors can be a useful way to disrupt unhelpful cultural models via strong and concrete mental images. 

This involves assessing our content for the presence of these metaphors and looking for opportunities to introduce them where relevant.  

A word of caution: in our context, the use of metaphors isn’t entirely or always consistent with plain English guidelines and guidelines for writing for low-literacy users and online platforms (for example, guidelines about using simple language, short and succinct writing and so on). Therefore this device is best used with a light touch.

For example: brain architecture 

In Child development: the first five years, the second paragraph introduces this metaphor via the reference to foundations (no change required): 

In the first 5 years of life, your child’s brain develops more and faster than at any other time in their life. Your child’s early experiences – their relationships and the things they see, hear, touch, smell and taste – stimulate their brain, creating millions of connections. This is when the foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down.

For example: serve and return 

In Relationships and child development, the second and third paragraphs work with this metaphor via the reference to children ‘getting back’ (no change required): 

That’s because relationships let children express themselves – a cry, a laugh, a question – and get something back – a cuddle, a smile, an answer. What children ‘get back’ gives them very important information about what the world is like and how to act in the world – how to think, understand, communicate, behave, show emotions and develop social skills. 

For example, it’s natural for your baby to want to communicate with you through babbling, facial expressions and gestures like waving, nodding and shaking their head. It’s good when you respond with the same kind of ‘talking’ and gesturing, because this shows warmth and love. By responding in a warm, loving and gentle way, you’re helping your baby learn about communication, behaviour and emotions.

For example: navigating 

Here's an example from Raising children as a teenage parent, which introduces this metaphor simply using 'navigate' rather than verbs like ‘experience’ or‘face’: 

All parents navigate challenges as their children grow and develop. Many of these challenges are the same for teenage parents and older parents.

But if you’re a teenage parent, you might have to navigate extra challenges, like trying to finish school while looking after a baby. You might also feel judged for being a teenage parent or overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising a child.

Help with framing

Need help with or advice on framing implementation at raisingchildren.net.au? Post your question on RCN’s #framing Slack channel, or talk to Cath or Robyn.