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How Parents' Skills Affect Their Time-Use with Children? Evidence from an RCT Experiment in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Del Boca
  • Chiara Pronzato
  • Lucia Schiavon

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of parenting courses on fragile families’ time use with their children. Courses aimed at raising parental awareness of the importance of educational activities are offered in four Italian cities (Naples, Reggio Emilia, Teramo and Palermo) within the framework of the social program “FA.C.E. Farsi Comunità Educanti” and with the cooperation of the program “Con i Bambini”2. To conduct the impact evaluation3, we designed a randomized controlled trial involving random assignment of the families (mostly mothers). At the end of the intervention, we administered an assessment questionnaire both to the treatment group, which took the course, and to the control group, which did not. Comparing the outcomes, we find attending the course increased families’ awareness of the importance of educational activities for children, the frequency with which they read to the child, and their desire to spend more time with the child.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Del Boca & Chiara Pronzato & Lucia Schiavon, 2020. "How Parents' Skills Affect Their Time-Use with Children? Evidence from an RCT Experiment in Italy," CESifo Working Paper Series 8795, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8795
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Daly & Liam Delaney & Orla Doyle & Nick Fitzpatrick & Christine O'Farrelly, 2014. "Can Early Intervention Policies Improve Well-being? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial," Working Papers 201415, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    2. Matthias Doepke & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2017. "Parenting With Style: Altruism and Paternalism in Intergenerational Preference Transmission," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 85, pages 1331-1371, September.
    3. Daniela Del Boca & Christopher Flinn & Matthew Wiswall, 2014. "Household Choices and Child Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(1), pages 137-185.
    4. Doyle, Orla & Harmon, Colm & Heckman, James & Logue, Caitríona & Moon, Seong Hyeok, 2017. "Early skill formation and the efficiency of parental investment," Papers RB20170101, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. Daly, Michael & Delaney, Liam & Doyle, Orla & Fitzpatrick, Nick & O'Farrelly, Christine, 2014. "Can Early Intervention Policies Improve Well-being? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon TN 2015-03, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    6. Doyle, Orla & Harmon, Colm & Heckman, James J. & Logue, Caitriona & Moon, Seong Hyeok, 2017. "Early skill formation and the efficiency of parental investment: A randomized controlled trial of home visiting," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 40-58.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    parenting use of time; randomized controlled trial;

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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