Parenting styles and children's social skills as perceived by Jordanian mothers of preschool children

Abstract

This study examined the perceived parenting styles in a sample of Jordanian mothers and their perceptions of the social skills exhibited by their preschool children. The sample consisted of 802 (N=802) mothers who responded to a three-part questionnaire: demographic information, parenting styles, and social skills. The results of this study indicated that the majority of mothers perceived their parenting style as authoritative (73.5%). This was followed by permissive, authoritarian, and uninvolved parenting styles. Results also indicated that mothers who perceived themselves as authoritative also perceived their children's social skills more positively. Evaluations of social skills by mothers revealed that children were perceived as highly skilled in responding to parental requests and inviting other children to join in their play activities. Cooperating and sharing behaviours received the lowest ratings as perceived by mothers. Results are discussed in association with the international literature and directions for future research are provided.