Parental Behaviour Research Articles

The association between parental warmth and children's prosocial behaviour: A moderated mediation analysis

Prosocial behaviour is a bedrock of humane societies. Although previous studies have shown that parental style is an important contributing factor for children's prosocial behaviour, the psychological mechanism underlying this association in specific cultural background remains unclear. Based on the ecological systems theory, this study sought to explore the influence of parental warmth on children's prosocial behaviour, and the mediating effect of self-efficacy, as well as the moderating role of teachers' incentive evaluation in the link between self-efficacy and children's prosocial behaviour. This cross-sectional, survey-based study collected data from parents and teachers of 414 Chinese preschoolers (5–6 years old). Parents of these children finished questionnaires on the Chinese version of the short-form Egna minnen av. Barndoms uppfostran (s-EMBU-C), Child Behaviour Scale (CBS), and the revised General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES), while Incentive evaluation questionnaire was finished by their teachers. Results indicated that children who experience high parental warmth were more likely to act prosocially (b = 0.61, p < 0.001) and the association between parental warmth and prosocial behaviour was partially mediated by self-efficacy (indirect effect = 0.25, 95 % CI = [0.19, 0.32]). Besides, teachers' incentive evaluation moderated the link between self-efficacy and children's prosocial behaviour (b = 0.24, p < 0.001). Specifically, the effect of self-efficacy on prosocial behaviour was stronger for high teachers' incentive evaluation children than those with low teachers' incentive evaluation. These findings extend the existing understanding of the mechanism concerning the influence of parental warmth on prosocial behaviour in Chinese settings. The results revealed that interventions that could improve children's self-efficacy would be effective in accelerating their prosocial behaviour and schools played a crucial role in working with families to increase their self-efficacy at a young age. It should be noted that this study focused only on Chinese children of 5–6 years old, and the cross-sectional design means that the possibility of bidirectional effects could not be ruled out.

The Correlation Between Exposure to Violence and Parental Monitoring: Differences Between Mothers and Fathers From Palestinian–Israeli Families

ABSTRACTIn this study, I investigated the correlations between retrospectively reported experiences of child abuse in the family‐of‐origin and exposure to community violence as adults on parental monitoring among Palestinian–Israeli parents. A sample of 760 parents (453 mothers, 59.6%) participated in the study. A self‐administered questionnaire was used. Results showed that both experiencing child abuse and community violence victimization were associated with high levels of parental stress, and experiencing child abuse was also associated with low levels of parental monitoring. Indirect effects of parental stress were found between both types of violence exposure and parental monitoring. Among mothers, there were additional indirect effects between violence exposure and parental monitoring. These findings suggest that exposure to multiple contexts of violence correlated with parental behaviours, and parenting programmes should focus on reducing parental stress and improving parental monitoring, considering the gender differences. Overall, this study highlights the importance of addressing the outcomes of trauma on parenting monitoring, which can have significant implications for public health.

Peningkatan Pengetahuan pada Orangtua tentang Gizi Seimbang Anak Usia 3-6 Tahun

The four-healthy-five-perfect nutritional guidelines that were previously used have changed to the term nutritional pyramid or balanced nutritional stack. Balanced nutrition is one of the most important things that parents must pay attention to in children's growth and development. The long-term impact of poor nutritional status affects the quality of human resources in the future. Therefore, it is necessary for parents to understand through education or increasing knowledge regarding balanced nutritional status so that they can choose food according to their needs to provide balanced nutrition to their children. The counseling activity was carried out on January 27, 2024, which was attended by 13 parents and 8 school teachers. To determine the cognitive changes of participants, we perform pre-test and post-test. The results of the counseling activity showed that participants' knowledge regarding balanced nutrition increased by 23%, and the percentage of correct answers increased from 7.7% to 69.2%. This increased knowledge is expected to enhance understanding and change behaviour of balance nutrition parents towards their children.

Are brood sex ratios adaptive? – The effect of experimentally altered brood sex ratios on parental feeding behaviour

Correlations between brood sex ratios (BSRs) and parental or environmental quality have been found in many species. This phenomenon is called sex ratio adjustment, and is expected to evolve if certain factors affect the fitness return from the offspring in a sex-dependent way. However, it is seldom studied whether biased sex ratios are indeed adaptive. We manipulated BSRs in a cross-fostering experiment, and investigated parental costs in terms of feeding rate and survival in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). In our population, male nestlings can grow faster under good conditions, but are more sensitive to adverse conditions. Assuming that the sensitivity of the males results from their larger energy requirement, we predicted increased costs in broods with male-biased experimental BSR. Assuming that BSR adjustment is adaptive and related to parental care giving capacity, we expected higher feeding and survival rate by parents that originally had more sons, and predicted that low quality parents are less able to adjust their feeding rates to the needs of their foster broods or pay higher survival cost. However, we found that the manipulated BSR and its interaction with original BSR affected neither the feeding rate nor the survival of the parents. Only male feeding rate was correlated with original BSR, however, contrary to our prediction: males with female-biased original BSR fed their foster chicks more frequently. Our results, with those of a previous report about the effects of the experiment on nestlings, do not support that the observed BSRs are adaptive in our population.Significance statementMany hypotheses propose that higher vertebrates adaptively adjust the primary sex ratio of their offspring to individual or environmental quality. While the potential adaptive value of the observed patterns is regularly discussed, studies that specifically test the adaptivity of sex ratio adjustment are very scarce and correlative. Using a special cross-fostering experiment, we investigated whether original brood sex ratios are related to the rearing capacity of the parents, and experimental sex ratios are related to the rearing costs in terms of feeding effort or survival. We found no effect of experimentally altered brood sex ratios on either parental feeding effort or survival. Furthermore, contrary to the adaptive scenario, males that had female-biased broods originally had higher feeding rates. So far, we have found no evidence that the sex ratio adjustment is adaptive in the collared flycatcher.

Bidirectional longitudinal associations between parental self-efficacy and child rule-breaking behaviours: A random-intercept cross-lagged panel study.

Parental self-efficacy (PSE) is a pivotal determinant of change in children's adjustment. However, not only has previous research shown that PSE plays a protective role for children's rule-breaking (RB) behaviours (i.e., parent-driven process), but RB also can reduce parents' PSE over-time (i.e., child-driven process). This study examined the bidirectional longitudinal associations between PSE and RB behaviours by disentangling maternal from paternal influences and between- from within-person effects. In the present seven-wave longitudinal study involving 200 Italian children (T1: Mage = 9.80, SD = 0.65; 50.5% girls), their mothers (N = 200) and fathers (N = 190), two random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (one for mothers and one for fathers) were used to explore whether: (a) stable parts of PSE and RB were related to each other, (b) higher levels of PSE were associated with lower levels of RB at a given time point, and (c) higher levels of PSE at a given time point were associated with future lower levels of RB. Results provided evidence both for a parent- and a child-driven process between mothers' PSE and children's RB behaviours. However, these results were not replicated for fathers. Implications are discussed.

Acceptability of corporal punishment and use of different parenting practices across high‐income countries

AbstractWorldwide, many children experience corporal punishment. Most research on corporal punishment has focused on parents' attitudes and use of corporal punishment; however, other relevant parenting factors and practices have rarely been examined. This study explored differences among countries with various levels of progress toward a total legal ban of corporal punishment in parents' acceptability of corporal punishment, perception of parenting as a private concern, relationship with their child and parenting practices: consistency, coercive parenting, use of smacking and positive encouragement. Parents (N = 6760) of 2‐ to 12‐year‐old children from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom completed the International Parenting Survey, an online cross‐sectional survey. One‐way ANOVAs, and MANCOVAs (after controlling for parent age, gender and educational level), indicated significant country differences. Overall, there was no clear link between corporal punishment bans and positive parenting beliefs, practices and behaviours. The two countries where corporal punishment is banned showed different patterns. Parents in Germany showed less acceptability and use of smacking; however, parents in Spain reported the highest use of coercive parenting. Country differences suggest that beyond a legal ban, attention is needed on how to support parents to raise their children in a positive, nurturing environment.

'I don't want him to always be so far behind': Parental perceptions of child independence in the context of extreme prematurity; a qualitative study.

This study addresses the paucity of research on parents of extremely preterm adolescents (born <27weeks of gestation) and their experiences within the framework of parental determinism. We conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty-two mothers and one father. Data were analysed thematically, revealing three overarching themes and eight subthemes shaping parental accounts. These themes centred on parental ambitions for their children, their perceptions of their child's abilities, and the parenting behaviours employed to support parental aspirations. Parents' actions were influenced by their ambitions and the belief that they could impact their child's future independence. While some parents adopted 'trusting', non-intensive parenting behaviours, those anticipating challenges for their child's future independence resorted to intensive parenting practices. These findings align with the concept of parental determinism, emphasising the perceived causal link between present parental actions and future child outcomes. In the context of extreme prematurity, a nuanced understanding of parental perceptions regarding their child's future independence aligned with a delicate balance between hope and realistic aspiration is crucial for enhancing parental support and well-being.

Linking child externalising problems to psychological distress in parents: Mobile phone use by children as a mediator.

Child externalising problems, such as acting out and hostility, have been found to be significant stressors for parents, leading to increased distress levels. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of parents' use of mobile phones to soothe or engage children in the association between child externalising problems and distress in parents. Altogether 937 parents of children aged 5-12 reported their child's externalising problems, child's mobile phone use, and their distress through an online survey. The findings indicated that parents of children with high externalising problems are more likely to use mobile phones to soothe their children and keep them engaged in daily activities, which, in turn, is associated with higher distress in parents. Child externalising problems and distress in parents remained significantly and positively associated even after accounting for the mediating effect. The results highlight the child-driven effect on distress in parents through parenting behaviours, indicating the importance of providing alternative parenting strategies to cope with child externalising behaviours, in order to promote parental emotional well-being.

Психообразователни програми за повишаване на родителския капацитет за рефлексия и саморефлексия – систематичен обзор

Psychoeducational programs to enhance reflective parental capacity are among the main prevention and intervention strategies for parents of children with behavioural and emotional problems. The objectives of the present systematic literature review are: 1) to identify evidence-based psychoeducational programs for parents of children over three years of age that aim to increase parental capacity for reflection and self-reflection; 2) to describe the characteristics and outcomes of these programs on parameters of parental functioning, parent-child relationships, and children's behaviours. This systematic review follows the protocol for systematic review (PRISMA-P). In four of the studied programs, there are data on a significant increase in the ability to reflect, in two of them - on a reduction in parental stress, and in the others, tendencies are reported. Direct comparison between programs is impossible due to differences in research design.

Relationships between parental involvement in homework and learning outcomes among elementary school students: The moderating role of societal collectivism-individualism.

Parents are often involved in their child's homework with the goal of improving their child's academic achievement. However, mixed findings were observed for the role of parental involvement in homework in shaping students' learning outcomes. The present study examined whether and how the effect of parental involvement in homework on students' performance in science and math varies across sociocultural contexts by considering the degrees of societal collectivism-individualism. The present study used a large-scale dataset, consisting of participants from 43 countries/regions, to test whether societal collectivism-individualism would moderate the relationship between three types of parental involvement (asking, helping and checking) in homework and elementary school students' academic performance in math and science. The multi-level analyses revealed diverse effects of different parental involvement behaviours for homework. Helping and checking behaviours were generally negatively associated with elementary school students' academic achievement, but asking behaviours were positively associated with their academic achievement. Importantly, the positive effect of asking behaviours was stronger, while the negative effect of helping behaviours was weaker in collectivistic societies than in individualistic societies. The present study highlights the importance of considering the multifaceted nature of parental homework involvement and the sociocultural contexts that vary in collectivism-individualism when evaluating the role of parents in elementary school students' learning in math and science.

Evolution of a novel adrenal cell type that promotes parental care.

Cell types with specialized functions fundamentally regulate animal behaviour, and yet the genetic mechanisms that underlie the emergence of novel cell types and their consequences for behaviour are not well understood1. Here we show that the monogamous oldfield mouse (Peromyscus polionotus) has recently evolved a novel cell type in the adrenal gland that expresses the enzyme AKR1C18, which converts progesterone into 20α-hydroxyprogesterone. We then demonstrate that 20α-hydroxyprogesterone is more abundant in oldfield mice, where it induces monogamous-typical parental behaviours, than in the closely related promiscuous deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Using quantitative trait locus mapping in a cross between these species, we ultimately find interspecific genetic variation that drives expression of the nuclear protein GADD45A and the glycoprotein tenascin N, which contribute to the emergence and function of this cell type in oldfield mice. Our results provide an example by which the recent evolution of a new cell type in a gland outside the brain contributes to the evolution of social behaviour.

‘Getting addicted to it and losing a lot of money… it’s just like a hole.’ A grounded theory model of how social determinants shape adolescents’ choices to not gamble

BackgroundGambling abstinence when underage lowers the risk of harmful gambling in later life. However, little research has examined why many young people refrain from gambling, even though this knowledge can inform protective strategies and lower risk factors to reduce underage gambling and subsequent harm. This study draws on the lived experience of adolescent non-gamblers to explore how social determinants while growing up have shaped their reasons and choices to not gamble.MethodsFourteen Australian non-gamblers, aged 12–17 years, participated in an in-depth individual interview (4 girls, 3 boys) or online community (4 girls, 3 boys). Questions in each condition differed, but both explored participants’ gambling-related experiences while growing up, including exposure, attitudes and behaviours of parents and peers, advertising, simulated gambling and motivations for not gambling. The analysis used adaptive grounded theory methods.ResultsThe grounded theory model identifies several reasons for not gambling, including not being interested, being below the legal gambling age, discouragement from parent and peers, concern about gambling addiction and harm, not wanting to risk money on a low chance of winning, and moral objections. These reasons were underpinned by several social determinants, including individual, parental, peer and environmental factors that can interact to deter young people from underage gambling. Key protective factors were parental role modelling and guidance, friendship groups who avoided gambling, critical thinking, rational gambling beliefs, financial literacy and having other hobbies and interests.ConclusionsChoices to not gamble emanated from multiple layers of influence, implying that multi-layered interventions, aligned with a public health response, are needed to deter underage gambling. At the environmental level, better age-gating for monetary and simulated gambling, countering cultural pressures, and less exposure to promotional gambling messages, may assist young people to resist these influences. Interventions that support parents to provide appropriate role modelling and guidance for their children are also important. Youth education could include cautionary tales from people with lived experience of gambling harm, and education to increase young people’s financial literacy, ability to recognise marketing tactics, awareness of the risks and harms of gambling, and how to resist peer and other normalising gambling influences.

Sexual experiences, behaviours and attitudes in the parents in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Childhood (ALSPAC)

The aim of this data note is to describe the sexual experiences, behaviours, and attitudes data collected from the parent cohorts of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) over a 30-year period. ALSPAC is an ongoing birth cohort which enrolled 14,541 pregnant women living in Avon, a county of southwest England, with expected dates of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992 inclusive and continues collecting data on these mothers (age range at delivery &lt;16–41 years), their partners (age range at delivery &lt;16–65), and their offspring, so far resulting in 100,000+ phenotype variables. During the index pregnancy the mothers were asked (and at 8 months post-delivery for partners) about their early sexual experiences to identify sexual abuse/assaults and the age at which an event first happened. Both parents were asked also about sexual abuse within a battery of questions identifying Adverse Childhood Events (ACE). Further longitudinal data described here includes satisfaction with sexual and non-sexual sides of their relationship; sexual functioning; and at seven years post-delivery, both parents were asked to describe their sexual orientation as well as the sex of their partners and cohabiting partners. These data provide the ability to compare generational differences between parental sexual behaviours and attitudes with those of their offspring, as well as allowing comparisons with other longitudinal surveys where similar (or identical) information has been collected such as the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL-3). This paper forms a companion to another data note describing similar data collected on the offspring cohort.

Investigation of Communication Skills and Subjective Well-being Levels in Helping Professional Groups

This study examines the relationship between communication skills and subjective well-being among students in the psychological counseling and guidance and nutrition and dietetics programs. The research, which involved 430 university students as professional candidates, investigates the impact of program, gender, grade, perceived parental behaviours, and residence on both subjective well-being and communication style. The results indicate a significant association between effective communication, well-being, and family influences, highlighting their crucial role in personal and professional development. It is worth noting that gender differences in subjective well-being and communication skills levels were identified, with females exhibiting higher scores. These findings have important implications for the design of psycho-education programs and support measures. The study provides guidance for tailoring interventions to address gender-specific needs and recognizes the influential role of familial factors in cultivating communication and well-being competencies of students in counseling and nutrition-related disciplines.

Analysis of Parents' Knowledge and Behaviour in Providing Developmental Stimulation Early Childhood

Early childhood is a time when almost all of the child's potential is experiencing a sensitive period to grow and develop rapidly and violently. This growth and development are influenced by nutritious and balanced food intake and intensive stimulation by parents. If children are given intensive stimulation from their environment, especially in the family, then children will be able to undergo their developmental tasks well. This study aims to analyse parents' knowledge and behaviour in providing early childhood development stimulation. This study used a descriptive correlational design with a cross sectional approach conducted at RA Qurrota A'yun Kepanjen Malang Regency East Java Indonesia in 2023 which was attended by 56 respondents. The result of this study is that there is a relationship between knowledge and parental behaviour in providing developmental stimulation in early childhood with a p value of 0.003 and a relationship strength of 0.390 which reflects that the strength of the relationship is quite strong and positive.

Sociocultural determinants of children's oral health among immigrants in Canada.

A conceptual model was designed and tested to predict immigrant children's oral health in Canada by examining parental acculturation and perceived social support (PSS) using structural equation modelling. A convenience sample of first-generation immigrant parents and their children aged 2-12 years were recruited by multilingual community workers in Edmonton, Canada. Parents completed a validated questionnaire on demographics, child's oral health (OH) behaviours, parental acculturation and PSS. Dental examinations determined children's dental caries rate using DMFT/dmft index. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. A total of 336 families participated in this study. The average parental acculturation level was 10.46 with a maximum of 15, and the average PSS was 63.27 with a maximum of 75. SEM showed that 77% of the variance of DMFT/dmft scores in children was explained by parental PSS, acculturation level, immigration-related variables, socioeconomic variables and children's OH behaviours. The direct effect of parental PSS was associated with a significantly reduced rate of dental caries (β = -.076, p-value = .008) and lower sugar consumption (β = -.17, p-value = .04). While the mediation effect of parental acculturation on PSS was associated with positive OH behaviours of children (e.g., toothbrushing frequency and dental care utilization), the indirect effect was negatively associated with caries rate (β = .77, p-value = .00). The direct effect of Parental Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was associated with more favourable oral health behaviours and a lower prevalence of dental caries, while the mediation effect of acculturation was linked to a higher prevalence of dental caries.

Individual and systemic variables associated with prolonged grief and other emotional distress in bereaved children.

Most children confronted with the death of a loved one do not experience persisting psychological problems. However, for some, acute grief reactions develop into prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and other mental health problems. Research findings suggest that bereavement outcomes in children are associated with negative cognitions and avoidant coping and with different parenting behaviours. However, knowledge about factors influencing grief in children is still limited and few studies have examined the relative impact of psychological (individual-level) variables and systemic (family-level) variables in affecting their responses to loss. The aim of the current study was to examine the association of different bereavement outcomes in 8-18 year old children (including levels of self-rated PGD, depression, and posttraumatic stress (PTS)) with sociodemographic variables, individual-level variables (including negative cognitions and anxious and depressive avoidance), and family-level variables (including the severity of caregiver's PGD, depression, and anxiety, and indices of parenting behaviours, rated both by children and by their caregivers). Questionnaire data were used from 159 children plus one of their caregivers, gathered as part of the pre-treatment assessment in a randomized controlled trial. Results showed that most of the children's bereavement outcomes, including PGD severity and PTS severity, were associated with indices of negative cognitions and avoidance behaviours. Caregiver's depression and anxiety showed a very small, yet significant, association with two children's outcomes. Caregiver-rated reasoning/induction (one index of parenting behaviours) showed a small association with children's PTS-related functional impairment. Exploratory analyses indicated that the linkage between parenting behaviour and children's outcomes may be moderated by whether the behaviour comes from father or mother. This is one of the first studies examining how individual cognitive behavioural variables plus the mental health of caregivers and indices of parenting may affect PGD and other outcomes in bereaved children. The findings provide tentative indications that individual and family-level variables influence these outcomes, albeit that more research is urgently needed.

Assessing parent-child interaction with deaf and hard of hearing infants aged 0-3 years: An international multi-professional e-Delphi.

Most deaf babies are born to hearing families who do not yet have the skills to communicate effectively with their child. Adaptations to communication are important because the quality of parent-child interaction (PCI) predicts how a deaf child develops language. Teachers of Deaf children and Speech and Language Therapists support families with communication in the home. Currently, there are no assessments that appraise how a parent interacts with their deaf baby. Previous research has identified which parent behaviours and approaches are used in PCI assessments in research and practice. The current paper forms consensus on the core content and best practices of a new PCI tool for deaf children aged 0-3 years. An international sample of expert academics and practitioners (n = 83) were recruited to take part in a two-round modified electronic Delphi study. Participants were presented with 69 statements focusing on (i) which parent behaviours were important in assessment (ii) the methods to be used in PCI assessment. Participants rated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each statement on a five-point Likert scale and gave comments to support their response. Consensus was defined as >80% of participants rating the statement as a (4) 'highly important' or a (5) 'essential'. If consensus was not reached, participant comments were used to generate new statements which were rated in the second round. This project involved a patient and public involvement (PPI) group of hearing and deaf parents and professionals to design and guide the study. Consensus was achieved on 52 statements and ranged from 80-99%. A further six statements were additionally included. Within the 58 statements included, 36 were parent behaviours which centred on the parent's observation of, and response to, their child's behaviour and/or language. The remaining 22 statements focused on methods used in the assessment such as parents having their PCI filmed, parents having the opportunity to review the video and assess themselves alongside a professional, and parents being involved in subsequent goal setting. This e-Delphi presented the parent behaviours and methods of assessment to be included in a new PCI tool for deaf children. Future co-production work and acceptability and feasibility testing are discussed.

Mothering and mother-child interactions in the unaffected siblings of autistic children.

To investigate parenting and mother-child interactions in unaffected siblings of autistic children. This cross-sectional study enrolled 274 probands with a DSM-5 diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (87.4% male; mean [SD] age = 11 years 4 months [3 years 2 months]), their unaffected siblings (n = 274, 46.72% male; mean [SD] age = 11 years 3 months [3 years 4 months]), and 296 age-balanced and sex-balanced typically developing children (82.77% male; mean [SD] age = 11 years 3 months [2 years 8 months]). Maternal parenting styles and mother-child interactions were assessed using maternal reporting. Regardless of the child's age, maternal educational level, or presence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autistic children received more overprotective and controlling parental behaviour than unaffected children. Correlates for parenting, mother-child interactions, and behavioural problems in the home setting in children with ASD and typically developing children were autistic traits, maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms, and maternal autistic characteristics; those in unaffected siblings were age, autistic traits, maternal educational level, and maternal autistic characteristics. The diagnosis of ASD in a child can significantly influence maternal parenting behaviours, mother-child interactions, and the child's behavioural problems in the home setting. Furthermore, maternal anxiety or depressive symptoms, along with autistic characteristics in both mother and child, might shape parenting practices and exacerbate behavioural difficulties in autistic children. Autistic children received more overprotective and controlling parenting. In children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children, autistic traits, maternal anxiety and depression, and maternal autistic characteristics were correlated. In unaffected siblings, age, autistic traits, maternal education, and maternal autistic characteristics were correlated.

Parental experience and distress: the protective role of self-care and employment flexibility on parenting practices in parents of adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to identify whether the coping strategy of active self-care, and the coping resource of employment flexibility were moderators of the relationships between parental distress and parenting practices, and parental experience and parenting practices, in parents of adolescents. Method This research was part of a larger study conducted by the Parenting Research Centre who surveyed a representative sample of 2600 Victorian parents on their parental concerns, approaches, and experiences using computer-assisted telephone interviews. Results Results demonstrated that employment flexibility and active self-care significantly moderated the relationship between a demanding parental experience and autonomy-supportive parent-child communication, and that active self-care moderated the relationship between the belief parenting comes naturally and negative parenting. It was concluded that both coping indicators had protective effects on parenting practices, through interacting with parental experience. Conclusions Practical implications of this research include enhancement of parental interventions by lending evidence that both self-care and employment flexibility promote parent-child communication and protect against more aversive parenting behaviours.