2 - (SYM 141) Increasing Positive Parenting and Children's Social-emotional Skills in Elementary School by Increasing Parental Self-regulation

A robust body of evidence illustrates the positive impacts of changing parenting behaviors on children’s behavior and development (e.g., Sanders & Mazzucchelli, 2022). Studies less frequently identify the mechanisms that underlie the changes in parental behavior (Mejia, Ulph & Calam, 2016). This study examined whether the effects of a two-generational program to promote school success in children and parental involvement in families from underresourced neighborhoods on parenting practices and children’s social-emotional adjustment at school might be mediated by changes in parental self-regulation.

Two hundred sixty-five children and their parents from neighborhoods with high rates of familial poverty and low rates of school achievement were randomly assigned to receive either the two-generational intervention or services as usual. For the intervention, children attended a 24-session school readiness group for 12 weeks during the summer before and the fall of kindergarten, and parents attended 12 weekly parent groups. Children and their parents completed assessments at baseline (T1), the end of summer prior to kindergarten (T2), the fall of kindergarten (T3), and the ends of kindergarten (T4) and Grade 1 (T5). Parental self-regulation was assessed at T2 and use of inconsistent, ineffective parenting practices was assessed at T3. Children’s social-emotional skills were assessed at T4 and 5.

Path analyses demonstrated a positive intervention effect on parents’ self-regulatory skills from baseline to T2.  Parents’ improved self-regulatory skills significantly reduced their use of inconsistent parenting at T3. Inconsistent parenting was negatively associated with child social-emotional skills at T4 and 5. There was a significant indirect path from the intervention to T4 and 5 social-emotional skills through improved parent self-regulatory skills and decreased inconsistent parenting. The overall model adequately fit the data with χ²(39) = 79.07, p < 0.001, CFI = .95, TLI = .93, and RMSEA = 0.06 (90% CI = .04, .08).
Results demonstrated that the effects on a two-generational program to promote school success and parental involvement had positive effects on parenting through increases in parents’ self-regulation. This is consistent with research suggesting that parenting interventions might operate through effects on parental self-regulation. Further, the study demonstrates that by changing parental self-regulation and subsequent parenting behavior, children’s social-emotional adjustment at school can be improved.