The Influence of Early Patterns of Positive Parenting on Children's Preschool Outcomes

Abstract

This study examined for patterns of maternal warm responsiveness and restrictiveness across 6, 12, and 24 months of age to determine if there were subgroups of mothers who varied in the way they adapted to children's changing developmental needs. The study included 136 healthy full-term children and 228 preterm children of high (n = 90) and low (n = 138) medical risk. We identified four distinct clusters of mothers; one of which appeared the most optimal in terms of adapting. This maternal cluster showed high levels of warm responsiveness across ages and only slight increases in restrictiveness. Two less optimal clusters showed low levels of warm responsiveness and dramatic increases in restrictiveness with increasing age. A final cluster of mothers also displayed dramatic increases in restrictiveness and withdrew warm responsiveness as the infant approached the toddler period. Mothers who displayed the most optimal pattern were older, of higher socioeconomic status, held less restrictive and more child-centered childrearing attitudes, and had higher social support. These mothers also had children with more optimal social and cognitive outcomes at 40 months of age. These analyses provide support for targeting in intervention programs mothers' attitudes regarding childrearing and their needs for positive social support.