The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between parental mental well-being and parenting skills and whether this relationship differs based on the child's temperament. Parenting...Show moreThe aim of this study was to investigate the relation between parental mental well-being and parenting skills and whether this relationship differs based on the child's temperament. Parenting skills are crucial factors in a child's emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral development. Data were collected from 20 parents of young children (3 - 5 years old). Parenting skills were assessed using self-report questionnaires regarding confidence in parenting, reflective capacity, and parental sensitivity. The child's temperament was also assessed through questionnaires filled out by the parents. All multiple regressions were non-significant, and the relationships between parental mental well-being and parenting skills were not moderated by the child's temperament. This means that parental mental well-being and the child's temperament were not sufficiently predictive of parental self-confidence, reflective capacity, and parental sensitivity in parenting. By examining the correlations, a moderate positive relationship was found between parental mental well-being and their confidence in parenting. Parents with higher mental well-being had more confidence in their parenting. Parental mental well-being was negatively associated with their reflective capacity, indicating that parents with lower mental well-being displayed higher levels of reflective capacity. A moderate positive relationship was found between the child's temperament and parental sensitivity, suggesting that parents of children with a more challenging temperament were generally more sensitive in their parenting.Show less
Parental sensitivity is an important construct in the development of the child. It is important to know which constructs respond to parental sensitivity. This study investigated whether the child's...Show moreParental sensitivity is an important construct in the development of the child. It is important to know which constructs respond to parental sensitivity. This study investigated whether the child's temperament predicts parental sensitivity. In addition, it was investigated whether this relationship is moderated by the parent's perception of competence, consisting of reflective ability and self-confidence in parenting behavior. The sample consists of 21 parents, both mothers and fathers, with their child. The children were all between three and five years old. There were two measurement moments, two weeks apart, in which the parent performed a structured play task with the child. The parent was coded for sensitivity for both measurement moments using the Ainsworth Scale. Between the two measurement moments, the parents completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire – very short form, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire and Me as a Parent. The regression used to investigate whether the child's temperament predicts parental sensitivity did not show a significant result. The reflective ability of the parent appears to be a significant negative predictor of parental sensitivity. Reflectivity ability is a significant moderator between child temperament and parental sensitivity, but not in the expected direction. A high reflective capacity of a parent with a child with a difficult temperament was found to show less sensitive parenting behavior. Parental self-confidence in parenting behavior was found to be a significant negative predictor of parental sensitivity. Parental self-confidence in parenting behavior was not found to be a significant moderator in the relationship between child temperament and parental sensitivity. These results should be interpreted with caution as the sample size was very small and not very divers. Due to the large effect sizes and high explained variances, this study provides starting points for further scientific research into the relationship between these constructs.Show less