Why did we do this study?
- Research shows that mothers’ knowledge and beliefs about their parenting responsibilities (referred to as “parenting beliefs”) can directly impact their children. We studied how mothers’ parenting beliefs before the COVID-19 pandemic affected their children during the pandemic.
- We focused on the following two parenting beliefs:
- Parental self-efficacy is a parent’s confidence in their ability to positively influence their child and help them succeed.
- Perceived parental impact is a parent’s belief about how much their own behaviour influences their child’s development.
What did we do?
- We used data from 252 mother-child pairs from pre and during the pandemic.
- Mothers were asked about the following:
- Sociodemographic factors: This included questions about total family income, the mother’s education level, and the child’s living arrangement (single-parent or two-parent household).
- Parenting beliefs: Parental self-efficacy and perceived parental impact were measured using a questionnaire called the Parental Cognitions and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS).
- Child mental health: Both before and during the pandemic, children’s mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This questionnaire asks about children’s emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems.
- Challenges with education at home: Mothers were asked an open-ended question about any challenges their child faced with learning at home during COVID-19.
- We used a statistical analysis called path analysis to understand how parenting cognitions might influence children’s outcomes during the pandemic. We took into account other factors like the child’s mental health before the pandemic and the family’s sociodemographic background.
What did we find?
- Children of mothers who felt more confident in their parenting abilities before the pandemic coped better emotionally (e.g., fewer worries and anxieties) and behaviourally (e.g., fewer temper tantrums and less rule-breaking) during the pandemic.
- Mothers who felt more confident in their parenting abilities before the pandemic were less likely to report difficulties with their children’s education at home.
- Mothers with higher perceived parental impact—the belief that their behaviour significantly influences their child’s development—prior to the pandemic were more likely to report that their children experienced challenges with education at home during the pandemic.
- We speculate that these mothers may have been more attuned to their children’s developmental needs and more sensitive to the potential negative effects of the pandemic on their learning.
What does this mean?
- Mothers’ parenting beliefs before the pandemic played a role in shaping how their children fared during the pandemic.
- This study highlights the importance of parents feeling confident about their parenting skills.
- This can help children be more resilient, which means they can bounce back from tough situations.