Motherhood is a time of significant change for a woman. Once a woman enters motherhood, she must then navigate her mothering role within the societal expectation of intensive mothering. Intensive mothering prescribes the right way to be a mother which places unrealistic standards on mothers, which can lead to negative emotional reactions. A better understanding of intensive mothering may aid in mothers’ ability to navigate the unrealistic expectations. This study sampled 525 mothers within the United States and provided insight regarding differences in intensive parenting attitudes across various demographic characteristics. The findings demonstrate differences in intensive parenting attitudes across some mother characteristics; however, there were no differences found across many characteristics indicating the pervasiveness of intensive mothering beliefs among women regardless of their personal characteristics.

The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate available clinical evidence for the application of nonsilicone or silicone gels and gel sheets on hypertrophic scars and keloids after a burn injury so that practice guidelines could be proposed. This review provides evidence based recommendations, specifically for the rehabilitation interventions required for the treatment of aberrant wound healing after burn injury with gels or gel sheets. These guidelines are designed to assist all healthcare providers who are responsible for initiating and supporting scar management interventions prescribed for burn survivors. Summary recommendations were made after the literature, retrieved by systematic review, was critically appraised and the level of evidence determined according to Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine criteria.

Approximately one third of women in the U.S. workforce have children 18 years of age or younger. In addition to the typical career development challenges faced by women, which include pay inequity, lower levels of education, and low career self-efficacy, working mothers do a disproportionate amount of unpaid household tasks and childcare, are seen as less competent and dedicated to their work, and face deeply entrenched cultural ideals of the best ways to be a mother. Counselors can help working mothers by being aware of their own personal bias when counseling, validating the experience of working mothers, and utilizing appropriate and supportive interventions. It is recommended that counselors also help clients, their partners, and their families develop strategies to reduce the impact of the intensive mothering culture at work and home.

Higher education faculty strive to adopt pedagogical approaches that generate student engagement, motivation, and quality learning experiences. The literature on play has much to offer higher education. However, playful pedagogy remains an uncommon approach in education and is often represented in the literature as a practice utilized for a singular purpose and not as an underlying teaching philosophy. This phenomenological study examines the meaning of students’ experiences of play as a foundation to learning. The themes that emerge are: 1) play is underutilized and devalued in higher education, 2) play cultivates relational safety and a warm classroom environment, 3) play removes barriers to learning, 4) play awakens students’ positive affect and motivation, and 5) play ignites an open and engaged learning stance to enhance learning.

No abstract