Family resilience and problem behaviours in Chinese preschool children: the chain mediating role of maternal parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy

ABSTRACT

To explore the relationship between family resilience and preschool children’s problem behaviours and the role of maternal parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy in this relationship, a total of 1282 mothers of preschool children were surveyed. The results showed that: (1) family resilience could significantly negatively predict preschool children’s problem behaviours. (2) Maternal parenting stress completely mediated the relationship between family resilience and preschool children’s problem behaviours. (3) Maternal parenting self-efficacy completely mediated the relationship between family resilience and preschool children’s problem behaviours. (4) Maternal parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy played a mediating chain role between family resilience and preschool children’s problem behaviours. This study deepened the understanding of the relationship between family resilience and children’s social adjustment by discussing and outlining the relationship between family resilience to its influence on children’s problem behaviours.

KEYWORDS:

• Family resilience
• problem behaviours
• parenting stress
• parenting self-efficacy
• Chinese preschool children

Acknowledgments

We are really grateful to the participating children, parents, and teachers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China [grant number: 21CSH048].

Notes on contributors

Jingjing Zhu

Jingjing Zhu, an associate professor of preschool education, writes on both educational psychology, child socio-emotional adjustment, social withdrawal, clinical psychology and developmental psychology. Among her recent articles are Shyness and Socio-Emotional Adjustment among Young Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Screen Time (Behavioral Sciences 2023) and Maternal Control Strategies and Social Functioning in Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Effect of Child Surgency (Early Education and Development 2023).

Shuhui Xiang

Shuhui Xiang, a master's student of preschool education, writes on both child socio-emotional adjustment and family education. Among her recent articles are Shyness and Socio-Emotional Adjustment among Young Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Screen Time (Behavioral Sciences 2023).

Zhenzhen Zhang

Zhenzhen Zhang, a kindergarten teacher, writes on both child socio-emotional adjustment and social withdrawal. Unsociability and Social Adjustment of Chinese Preschool Migrant Children: The Moderating Role of Resilience (Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022).

Yan Li

Yan Li, a professor of preschool education, writes on both teacher education, family education, and preschool education. Among her recent articles are Maternal Failure Mindsets and Parenting Styles: Exploring the Mediating Role of Maternal Attributions of Children's Academic Failures (Early Education and Development 2023) and Shyness and Socio-Emotional Adjustment among Young Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Screen Time (Behavioral Sciences 2023).