Table 1

Questions relating to parenting practices

Question	Age 4	Age 8
Have you (or your husband) taught X the alphabet?	▪
Have you (or your husband) taught X to count?	▪
Have you (or your husband) taught X to write?	▪
Have you (or your husband) taught X his/her colours?	▪
Have you tried to prepare X in any way for going to school?	▪
Does your husband read or tell stories to X?	▪
Do you read or tell stories to X?	▪
Do you regularly take out books from the library?		▪
Does your husband regularly take out books from the library?		▪
Do you or your husband read for pleasure?		▪
Does X use a lending library of any sort at all?	▪
Does X regularly take out books from the public library?		▪
Does X regularly take out books from the school library?		▪
Does X read for pleasure?		▪
When X has been naughty do you ever send X out of the room or up to bed?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever keep X indoors or make X sit still?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever smack X?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever stop X sweets or not allow X to do something he/she enjoys?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever tell X you won't love them if he/she behaves like that?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever say that you will send him/her away or that you'll have to go away?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever try to frighten X with something like a policeman?	▪	▪
When X has been naughty do you ever threaten to use a stick or something like that?	▪	▪
Do you and your husband generally agree about dealing with X when he/she is naughty?*	▪	▪
On the whole, do you feel that where discipline is concerned that you are consistent?†
If X has been especially good during the day, do you generally like to let X know?	▪
If you want X to be good on a particular occasion do you ever promise him/her anything in advance?	▪
Do you or your husband show affection towards X or are you fairly reserved?	▪	▪
Have you met X's class teacher or head teacher during the past year?‡		▪
Do you ever discuss X's progress with the class teacher or head teacher?‡		▪
At what age would you like X to leave school?§

Responses were binary (Yes/No) unless otherwise stated.
*Item dichotomised to ‘Usually agree’ versus ‘Rarely agree’ and ‘Never agree’.
†Item dichotomised to ‘absolutely consistent’ and ‘fairly consistent’ versus ‘not very consistent’.
‡Responses: Yes, with class teacher; with head teacher; with both.
§Responses: 15 years, 16 years, 17 years, 18 years or later.