Parental play supportiveness and kindergartners’ peer problems: Children's playfulness as a potential mediator

Abstract

AbstractThis study examined the mediating role of children's playfulness in the relationship between parental play supportiveness and children's prospective peer problems in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese kindergarten children. Participants were parents and teachers of 108 local children (56% boys, mean age = 60.0 months). At time 1, parents reported their supportiveness towards household play and their child's playfulness through a questionnaire. Six months later at time 2, teachers reported children's peer problems as exhibited in the kindergarten. A path analytic model revealed that, controlling for child age, gender, and birth order, parental play supportiveness and children's playfulness at time 1 were positively associated, and that playfulness at time 1 negatively predicted peer problems at time 2. The indirect relationship between parental play supportiveness and peer problems as mediated through playfulness was significant, whereas the direct relationship between parental play supportiveness and peer problems was non‐significant. These findings suggest that parents who support children's household play may promote children's capacity to establish positive peer relationships by improving their level of playfulness. Practically, the results highlight the utility of fostering parental play supportiveness and children's playfulness to support kindergarten children's social development.