Parenting Mindsets and Stress: The Moderating and Direct Role of Self-Compassion

Abstract

Parental stress is a prevalent issue with significant implications for family well-being. While mindful parenting is often assumed to reduce stress, its actual associations and interaction with Good Enough Parenting Mindsets (GEPM) remain underexplored. Additionally, despite research linking self-compassion to lower stress, its moderating role in these dynamics has not been adequately explored. This cross-sectional study examined the relations between mindful parenting, GEPM, self-compassion, and parental stress among 103 parents (M = 39.78, SD = 0.79, range: 28–58), 76.7% female. Results revealed that mindful parenting was unexpectedly associated with higher levels of parental stress, while GEPM showed no significant relation to stress. Self-compassion emerged as a significant predictor of reduced parental stress but did not moderate the links between mindful parenting or GEPM and stress. These findings challenge existing assumptions about mindful parenting’s protective role and highlight the need for further research into the complex mechanisms underlying parental stress and resilience.