Research On The Impact Of Guardian Nurturing Knowledge On The Development Of Infants And Young Children From The Perspective Of Human Capital

With slowing down of Chinese economic growth,the economic problem of unbalance between supply and demand is gradually revealed.For solving the problem,the 19th national congress of the communist party of China reports that supply-side structural reform is needed to improve Chinese economic.Adjustment of labor market structure for accumulating human capital plays an important in reforming supply-side structure.Heckman and his colleagues find that the investment in early age of children is more effective.In other words,the first years of life comprise a critical period of development which has implications for lifelong outcomes.Chinese rural children development is far behind.In 2004,the State Council proposes that we need to explore effective measures for improving the development of 40 million children in poor areas Improving rural children human capital is one of key points to readjust the industrial structue.One of factors that may influence children outcomes is parenting knowledge.With one central conceptual model that parenting knowledge may influences the ways in which mothers interpret the behavior of their children and how parents interact with children,research find that knowledgeable parents are more likely to have children with better cognitive and social emotional development in developed countries.However,there is almost no research to examine the effect of parenting knowledge on children development in rural China.This study uses data from a sample of 648 rural Chinese infants aged 6-24 months to examine the effect of caregivers' parenting knowledge on early childhood developmental outcomes.Moreover Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-P is used to measure parenting knowledge.The third edition of Bayley Scales is used to measure children motor,cognitive,language and social emotional development.The propensity score matching method is used to examine the effect of parenting knowledge on early childhood developmental outcomes.The results show that:(1)Caregivers are lack of parenting knowledge in rural China.Mother has higher level parenting knowledge than other caregivers.Also,high levels of parenting knowledge is associated with higher maternal education and higher income.However,families with premature infant have lower knowledge level.(2)Female infant and infant whose mother is older than 25 has better language development.First child and infant whose mother has higher education level has better language and social emotional development.However,infant whose caregiver is mother has lower motor and social emotional development.(3)Caregiver knowledge of infant development positively and significantly effects social emotional and language development of infants.We also find that knowledgeable caregivers are more likely to play toy with infant and teach them to sing.However,the effect of parenting knowledge on cognitive and motor development are not significant.We do not find the relationship between parenting knowledge and telling story to infant.In view of the results of this research,practical and theoretical training are needed to improve parenting knowledge.And,there are some recommendations.(1)Government should pay attention to improve parenting knowledge.Specifically,education department should be responsible for theoretical research of early childhood education.And,Health Planning Commission should be responsible for activities of early childhood education.(2)Some practical suggestions:Firstly,more lectures or parent-child activities should be organized in rural China.Secondly,government should provide picture books for children in rural China.