Scottish Government

Edited by Alice Sullivan and Shirley Dex, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London
ISSN 0950 2254
ISBN 978 0 7559 7722 2 (Web only publication)
This document is also available in pdf format (1.3mb)

CONTENTS

List of contributors
Acknowledgements

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
MCS3 data
Family demographics
Parenting
Childcare
School choice
Teacher ratings of children's achievement
Child behaviour and cognitive development
Child health
Parental health
Parents' employment and education
Income and poverty
Housing, neighbourhood and residential mobility
Religious observance

1 INTRODUCTION
Aim
Plan of the report

2 MCS3 DATA
MCS3 response rate
MCS longitudinal sample
Analyses in this report

3 FAMILY DEMOGRAPHICS
Family type
Changes in family type
Number of siblings
Types of siblings
Non-resident fathers

4 PARENTING
Time spent with child
Family activities
Discipline
Ignoring child when naughty
Smacking child
Telling child off / reasoning with a naughty child
Parenting competence
Schedule regularity

5 CHILDCARE

6 SCHOOL CHOICE

7 FOUNDATION STAGE PROFILE AND DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATION TEACHER SURVEY

8 CHILD BEHAVIOUR AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

9 CHILD HEALTH
General Health
Child obesity

10 PARENTAL HEALTH
General Health
Smoking
Alcohol
Drug use
Depression and serious anxiety
Psychological distress
Life satisfaction
Body Mass Index

11 PARENTS' EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION
Mother's employment at MCS3
Mothers' employment by highest educational qualifications
Mothers' employment by number of children
Changes in employment as children aged from 3 to 5
Fathers' economic activity rates at MCS3
Family employment status at MCS3
Mothers working at atypical times
Family-friendly working arrangements
Mothers' reasons for not working
Changes in MCS family economy and partnerships from age 3 to age 5
Parents' additional qualifications by MCS3

12 INCOME AND POVERTY
Distribution of families over the equivalised income distribution
Subjective and objective indicators of poverty
Families below national 'poverty line'

13 HOUSING, NEIGHBOURHOOD AND RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY
Residential mobility MCS sweeps 2 to 3
Correlates of residential mobility
Perceptions of the area

14 RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

15 POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

REFERENCES

ANNEX: TABLES AND FIGURES

The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and
do not necessarily represent those of the Department or Scottish Ministers.