De relatie tussen zelfregulatievaardigheden van peuters en opvoedgedrag van moeders: de verklarende rol van opvoedstress

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between self-regulation skills from toddlers (36 months old) and mothers’ parenting behavior. Further, the effect of parenting stress to explain this correlation was examined. Methods: 244 mother-child dyads were recruited from multiple midwifery practices as a part of the YOUth cohort study. Both moms and toddlers took part in four parent-child interaction tasks, in which parenting behavior was measured through supportive presence and structure and limit setting. Mothers also filled out online questionnaires about their child's self-regulation skills and the amount of parenting stress they experienced as mothers. Results showed that the relationship between the self-regulation skills of toddlers and supportive presence was fully mediated by parenting stress. A significant negative correlation (p < .001) between toddler self-regulation skills and the amount of parenting stress mothers experienced. No significant correlation was found between toddler self-regulation skills and structure and limit setting. Parenting stress does not seem to explain the relationship between toddler self-regulation skills and structure and limit setting. Conclusion: Findings from this study can be valuable insights to stimulate interventions to reduce parenting stress and improve adequate parenting behavior. Reducing parenting stress might be achieved through knowledge improvement, learning coping skills and through parents’ social networks, offering them more support during parenting.