Parenting style and Chinese children’s school readiness outcomes: The moderating role of socioeconomic status

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parents’ perceived parenting styles and Chinese children’s school readiness and the moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES) in this relationship. A total of 307 parents (M = 35.77, SD = 4.65) and their five to six years old children (M = 5.53, SD = 0.50), from four kindergartens in Shanghai, China, participated in this study. Results indicated that authoritative parenting was positively related to children’s readiness for communication and general knowledge, language and cognitive development, social competence, and emotional maturity. Authoritarian parenting was negatively associated with children’s readiness for social competence and emotional maturity and permissive parenting negatively related to children’s readiness for social competence. Family SES moderated the effect of authoritative parenting on children’s performance in communication and general knowledge, language and cognitive development. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed.