1. The challenge.

The problem I am looking to tackle is to do with parenting children in this modern age.  I am seeking to  uncover insights into what problems/challenges modern parents are facing and uncover truths about  what today’s parents believe about childhood, parenting, and what success looks like.  The reason I am  scratching at this area is because I have been contemplating opening a daycare/preschool, but am  unconvinced that this is the best action. I would like to use design thinking to gather deep insight into  some problems modern parents like myself are facing.

As an undergraduate student earning my degree in psychology, and from a background of working in  various children’s programs, I found the research around early childhood, notably the importance of  play in early childhood, particularly compelling.  Ten years later, as I was fully round with the  expectation of my first daughter and feverishly reading parenting books covering topics that ranged  from attachment parenting, sleep and sleep training, music for brain development, singing to the baby  in the womb, stress levels and the developing baby, sexual abuse and predators, the effects of marital  stress on children, language exposure and the brain, vaccinations, childhood disease, illness, SIDS,  breastfeeding, bottle feeding and on and on... and feeling utterly inundated with so much information  but having access to very little real life support.  The postpartum depression and isolation that I felt  following the birth of my little girl casts a dark shadow on what should have been a wonderful time in  my life (sans the utter lack of sleep of the first six months).  All of the good ideas, and theoretical  intentions of what my parenting was going to be went out the window as every day, in the early days,  we were just trying to survive the day and keep the little creature alive!  As the years have rolled on and  I have been a participant (parent) an observer (navigating the world as a person shepherding small  human beings) and a listener (interactions with other parents in contact with). I have developed my own  opinions of what I think some of the problems and needs are, what I would have wanted for myself.

2. Design Tool: Visualization

The visualization tool from week one, Angela Meyer discusses using pictures and words to diagram and  connect ideas.  I started with the topic “healthy child development”.  I first wrote out all the things that I  believe create a healthy childhood.  Things like: secure attachment, love, nutrition, sleep, music, play,  reading stories, connection to nature, stable family life, and connection to a larger community, spiritual  practice, movement and running, building, and climbing.  I then wrote down things that I think are  challenges that parents are facing. Things like: working mothers have limited affordable and flexible  childcare options, stay at home mothers are isolated and need community and play groups, high risk  children have a lack of access to healthy developmental opportunities which perpetuates a negative  cycle of: school to prison pipeline, high school dropout rates and teen pregnancy.  Private preschools  have to charge high tuition to cover expenses or not keep teachers full time and therefore not providing  health insurance and benefits for working Americans, lower job satisfaction, lowers quality of work.  Schools and programs are under pressure to introduce academics despite a mountain of research  finding that play based programs are the most beneficial to healthy development.  I also added a couple  of ideas that came to mind as I was writing out all of these things.  Ideas like: need for a family  community center – what would meet needs in the best way?  What about the elderly, retired,  disabled…can they be part of the childcare solution?

From here I realized that my assumptions about what I believed was important for the development of a  healthy child, was just that: MY assumptions based on MY experience and education.  I then tried to drill  down further and develop open ended questions to use when surveying both parents.

3. Application

To begin, I decided to use the visualization tool to think more broadly about childhood and differing  childhood experiences.  I arranged pictures and words in groups.  From this activity I began to generate  bigger questions with the hopes that these are the questions used in a  Survey would get me closer to  the data needed to test if my assumptions:

The following questions were generated from the visualization tool:

1. Children are  2. The purpose of childhood is  3. What things make childhood great?  4. What things make childhood less than ideal?  5. The 3 most important things I want to teach my children are

a.    b.    c.

6. A successful adult has what qualities?  7. What is the best way to instill these qualities in young people   8. One of the things that I am good at as a parent is  9. One thing my parents were good at is:  10. In a perfect world, I would want __________________________________________for my child  11. In a perfect world, I would have access to this type of support ____________________________  12. In a perfect world I would _________________________________________________________  13. My fondest childhood memory is  14. A memory or situation from childhood that impacted you negatively  15. If I could start over with my children, what would I do differently

Rate these items on a scale of 1-5 on your view of their importance to healthy development. 1 being not  important and 5 being very important.

Socialization  Sports/team play (organized)  Play (unstructured)

Daily rhythm  Good nutrition  Structure classes

Outdoor play  Climbing/ running  Religion

Connected to community  Pretend play with others  Television

Stability  Marital/parental happiness  Singing / dancing

Nap time  Reading  Exposure to languages

4. Insight

The first questions I generated were more narrowly defined, and trying to drive at a point that I thought  was important, like play and sleep.  However, I realized that that approach to the questions may just get  me to answers I am looking for, which could just be confirmation bias. What answers would I get if I  were to give a broad question “what is a child” for example and leave space for parents to tell me  anything that comes to mind.

5. Approach

I just sent the survey to different parenting groups, play groups, neighborhood groups that I belong to.    Depending on the response from that, I may change are add questions.  I am very excited to being to see  what people respond and what I uncover from there.  I am gathering more research and am hoping to  curate that information and organize an upcoming brainstorming session.


1 . The challenge . The problem I am looking to tackle is to do with parenting children in this modern age . I am seeking to uncover insights into what problems / challenges modern parents are facing and uncover truths about what today ’s parents believe about childhood , parenting , and what success looks like . The reason I am scratching at this area is because I have been contemplating opening a daycare / preschool , but am unconvinced that this is the best action . I would like to use design thinking to gather deep insight into some problems modern parents like myself are facing . As an undergraduate student earning my degree in psychology , and from a background of working in various children ’s programs , I found the research around early childhood , notably the importance of play in early childhood , particularly compelling . Ten years later , as I was fully round with the expectation of my first daughter and feverishly reading parenting books covering topics that ranged from attachment parenting , sleep and sleep training , music for brain development , singing to the baby in the womb , stress levels and the developing baby , sexual abuse and predators , the effects of marital stress on children , language exposure and the brain , vaccinations , childhood disease , illness , SIDS , breastfeeding , bottle feeding and on and on ... and feeling utterly inundated with so much information but having access to very little real life support . The postpartum depression and isolation that I felt following the birth of my little girl casts a dark shadow on what should have been a wonderful time in my life ( sans the utter lack of sleep of the first six months ) . All of the good ideas , and theoretical intentions of what my parenting was going to be went out the window as every day , in the early days , we were just trying to survive the day and keep the little creature alive ! As the years have rolled on and I have been a participant ( parent ) an observer ( navigating the world as a person shepherding small human beings ) and a listener ( interactions with other parents in contact with ) . I have developed my own opinions of what I think some of the problems and needs are , what I would have wanted for myself . 2 . Design Tool : Visualization The visualization tool from week one , Angela Meyer discusses using pictures and words to diagram and connect ideas . I started with the topic “ healthy child development ” . I first wrote out all the things that I believe create a healthy childhood . Things like : secure attachment , love , nutrition , sleep , music , play , reading stories , connection to nature , stable family life , and connection to a larger community , spiritual practice , movement and running , building , and climbing . I then wrote down things that I think are challenges that parents are facing . Things like : working mothers have limited affordable and flexible childcare options , stay at home mothers are isolated and need community and play groups , high risk children have a lack of access to healthy developmental opportunities which perpetuates a negative cycle of : school to prison pipeline , high school dropout rates and teen pregnancy . Private preschools have to charge high tuition to cover expenses or not keep teachers full time and therefore not providing health insurance and benefits for working Americans , lower job satisfaction , lowers quality of work . Schools and programs are under pressure to introduce academics despite a mountain of research finding that play based programs are the most beneficial to healthy development . I also added a couple of ideas that came to mind as I was writing out all of these things . Ideas like : need for a family community center – what would meet needs in the best way ? What about the elderly , retired , disabled … can they be part of the childcare solution ? From here I realized that my assumptions about what I believed was important for the development of a healthy child , was just that : MY assumptions based on MY experience and education . I then tried to drill down further and develop open ended questions to use when surveying both parents . 3 . Application To begin , I decided to use the visualization tool to think more broadly about childhood and differing childhood experiences . I arranged pictures and words in groups . From this activity I began to generate bigger questions with the hopes that these are the questions used in a Survey would get me closer to the data needed to test if my assumptions : The following questions were generated from the visualization tool : 1 . Children are 2 . The purpose of childhood is 3 . What things make childhood great ? 4 . What things make childhood less than ideal ? 5 . The 3 most important things I want to teach my children are a. b. c. 6 . A successful adult has what qualities ? 7 . What is the best way to instill these qualities in young people 8 . One of the things that I am good at as a parent is 9 . One thing my parents were good at is : 10 . In a perfect world , I would want _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ for my child 11 . In a perfect world , I would have access to this type of support _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 . In a perfect world I would _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 . My fondest childhood memory is 14 . A memory or situation from childhood that impacted you negatively 15 . If I could start over with my children , what would I do differently Rate these items on a scale of 1 - 5 on your view of their importance to healthy development . 1 being not important and 5 being very important . Socialization Sports / team play ( organized ) Play ( unstructured ) Daily rhythm Good nutrition Structure classes Outdoor play Climbing/ running Religion Connected to community Pretend play with others Television Stability Marital / parental happiness Singing / dancing Nap time Reading Exposure to languages 4 . Insight The first questions I generated were more narrowly defined , and trying to drive at a point that I thought was important , like play and sleep . However , I realized that that approach to the questions may just get me to answers I am looking for , which could just be confirmation bias . What answers would I get if I were to give a broad question “ what is a child ” for example and leave space for parents to tell me anything that comes to mind . 5 . Approach I just sent the survey to different parenting groups , play groups , neighborhood groups that I belong to . Depending on the response from that , I may change are add questions . I am very excited to being to see what people respond and what I uncover from there . I am gathering more research and am hoping to curate that information and organize an upcoming brainstorming session .