Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to, study and compare the problems and parents needs in knowledge concerning the upbringing of the pre-school children. The samples were 311 pre-school childrens parents in Utaithanee province-compoing of 189 pre-school childrens parents in the municipal area and 125 pre-school childrens parents outside the municipal area. A questionnaire was designed to got parents' opinions about the problems and needs in knowledge concerning the pre-school child care. The collected data were analyzed by using mean and standard deviation, and the parents' opinions were compared by the use of t-test. The research results indicated that most of the opinions concerning the upbringing of the pre-school children of parents in and outside the municipal area were different. However, there were some-differences in the opinions of parents both in and outside the municipal areas which could be summarized as follows: 1. Problems concerning the pre-school child care Parents in the municipal areas had more problems in child-upbringing than parent outside the municipal areas in the following aspects. a. Problems concerning the parents. Most of parents in the municipal area had to go to work outside thus there must be somebody to take care of their children, and there were some problems caused by the differences parents and those of senior relatives in the family. Parents in the municipal area had lesser problems related to the basic knowledge of child care than the parents outside the municipal area were .Most of the parents in the municipal area had little knowledge about it. Parents in the municipal area did not live far from clinics or hospitals, while most of the parents outside the Municipal area lived moderately far from them, However there were no problems in traveling b. Problems concerning the children. Most of the children who were selective in vegetables, Most children who to bed very late were T.V. addicts. There was a little number of the children who had social problems such as being shy and shut in. Most of the children had normal growth rate, but there was a small number having abnormal weight and height. C. Problems concerning the environment. Public growths for children's recreation and play were limited and rather with poor safety. There was a small number of children who had no friends at home and who had problems living in clouded and noisy residential area 2. Sources of the child-upbringing knowledge Parents in the municipal area received more knowledge about child care than parents outside the municipal areas. The obtained knowledge were from the following resources : from doctors, nurses and midwives ; from reading books, journals and magazines, and from television. 3. Parents needs in of knowledge in child care Parents in the municipal area expressed more desires in knowledge of child-care than parents outside the municipal area. The sources from which parents in the municipal area could get the knowledge were training, guidebooks, manuals, documents, Journals, magazines; radio and television programs and daily newspapers. The details of these sources are as follows: a. Training participations. Most parents wanted to participate in two or three day training programs during week-ends. b. Manuals, documents and advices concerning child-care. Most parents wanted to read ten or twenty page books in which the illustrations are photographs. C. Journals and magazines about child care. Most parents wanted fortnightly magazines and at 10-15 baht price. d. Radio programs. Most parents wanted thirty minutes weekly programs about child care, broadcasted through the National Broadcasting Radio of Thailand, Public Relations Department, during 6.00 7.00 o'clock. e. Television programs. Most parents wanted the thirty minute child care programs, broadcasted through the Army Television Station, channel 5, during 8.00 10.00 o'clock. d. Daily newspapers. Most parents wanted a column about the caring of young child in the "Thairat" newspaper.