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Maternal Mindfulness and Child Social Behavior: the Mediating Role of the Mother-Child Relationship

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Abstract

Mindfulness is defined as moment-by-moment social awareness derived from a non-judgmental, friendly, and receptive attitude. Previous research suggested that mindfulness has a positive effect on parenting. The present study examined the association between mindfulness, parent–child relationship, and child social behavior in a Chinese sample. Two-hundred and sixteen mothers with children of preschool age completed a set of questionnaires on their mindfulness, parent–child relationships, and their children’s social behavior. A path analysis of their responses indicated that mindfulness had a significant and positive effect on the mother-child relationship in terms of attachment, involvement, and parental confidence and a negative effect on discipline practice and relational frustration. Mindfulness also had a significantly negative indirect effect on children’s emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems and a significant and positive indirect effect on children’s prosocial behavior. These results supported previous findings that mindful parents were more involved in their children’s lives and have a tendency to be more aware of their children’s needs. Implications of these results are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Angela F. Y. Siu, Ying Ma & Francis W. Y. Chui

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  1. Angela F. Y. Siu
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  2. Ying Ma
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  3. Francis W. Y. Chui
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Correspondence to Angela F. Y. Siu.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Siu, A.F.Y., Ma, Y. & Chui, F.W.Y. Maternal Mindfulness and Child Social Behavior: the Mediating Role of the Mother-Child Relationship. Mindfulness 7, 577–583 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0491-2

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