Ebb and Flow in Parent-Child Interactions: Shifts from Early through Middle Childhood

Abstract

Objective This study documents the strength of relations between key parent and child behaviors as they occur during typical encounters for both mothers and fathers and determines whether there were shifts in the strength of relations between parent and child behaviors during early and middle childhood. Design Multivariate multi-level modeling was used to examine associations between three parent behaviors (respect for autonomy, stimulation of development, hostility) and two child behaviors (agency, negativity) as they occurred in typical parent-child activities at four time points from 54 months through 5th grade for 817 families. Results For mothers and fathers, respect for autonomy and stimulation were associated with child agency. Paternal hostility was negatively associated with child agency, but for mothers the relation became more positive with age. Parental respect for autonomy and hostility were associated with child negativity for both mothers and fathers; however, for mothers, relations between autonomy support and child negativity became more positive, and relations between hostility and child negativity became less positive. Conclusions There are clear shifts in the strength of relations between some parenting behaviors and child behaviors from early to middle childhood, indicative of a changing dialectic as children become more independent and different dialectics for mothers and fathers. Parenting behavior links to child competence and adaptive behavior, and the findings may help resolve some uncertainties about relations between parental behavior and children's developmental trajectories.

Attentional control and executive functioning in school-aged children: Linking self-regulation and parenting strategies

“…At different developmental stages, children need customized stimulation and guidance adapted to the situation, their needs, and the task at hand (Bradley, Pennar, & Iida, 2015). A recent study in 4-to 11-year-olds demonstrated that the relationship between parenting behaviors and child agency shifts with age (Bradley et al, 2015), in line with the findings of Landry and colleagues (2000), Cuevas and colleagues (2014), and Mathis and Bierman (2015).…”

“…At different developmental stages, children need customized stimulation and guidance adapted to the situation, their needs, and the task at hand (Bradley, Pennar, & Iida, 2015). A recent study in 4-to 11-year-olds demonstrated that the relationship between parenting behaviors and child agency shifts with age (Bradley et al, 2015), in line with the findings of Landry and colleagues (2000), Cuevas and colleagues (2014), and Mathis and Bierman (2015). Since AC and EF skills are considered crucial in goal-directed behavior (Giesbrecht et al, 2010) and rapid improvements in AC and EF skills occur between the ages four and eight (Best & Miller, 2010), this raises the question whether key aspects of parenting strategies are related to AC and EF, and to what extent age moderates this relationship in 4-to 8-year-olds.…”

An Exploration of Jamaican Mothers’ Perceptions of Closeness and Intimacy in the Mother–Child Relationship during Middle Childhood

“…Last, the study did not investigate father–child relationship. Previous studies have shown that the relationship that a child has with his/her mother and father is different ( Bradley et al, 2015 ), which means that the examination of father–child relationships can provide a holistic picture of the Jamaican parent–child relationship.…”

Human infancy and parenting in global perspective: specificity

“…The normative patterns of expression and association of infant behaviours and maternal parenting practices, as they occur in dyadic involvement in everyday situations, have farreaching implications for biological and developmental theory and research, as well as clinical practice and social policy. Because it embraces a wider selection of samples and analyses infant and mother activities in a detailed way, this investigation may advance theory, help guide fresh research about early human development, and inform programmes aimed at improving parental caregiving and child well-being [50]. On the basis of these findings, biological, behavioural and clinical scientists may formulate more accurate accounts of how parents and infants interact in everyday situations to promote or hinder children's wholesome development.…”