How Parents Promote Children’s Well-Being

Eva M. Pomerantz

Think to the Future• What Attributes Would

You Like to Foster in Your Child?

• How Would You Do It?

Parents as Shapers

Parenting ChildWell Being

Major Dimensions of Parenting

• Structure• Autonomy Support• Affect

Structure

• Setting Limits• Monitoring• Guidance• Scaffolding

Structure Predicts. . .

• Decreased – Aggression– Delinquency

• Increased– Positive Peer Relations– Achievement

Autonomy Support• Autonomy-Supportive

– Allow Exploration of Environment– Permit Initiation of Own Behavior

• Independent Problem Solving• Encourage Generation of Own Strategies

• Controlling– Pressure to Meet Outcome– Regulate Behavior

• Commands• Directives• Orders• Love Withdrawal

Autonomy Support Predicts. . .

• Decreased– Extrinsic Motivation– Helplessness– Depression– Aggression

• Increased– Intrinsic Motivation– Mastery– Achievement– Positive Peer Relations

Affect

• Positive– Warm and Loving– Supportive– Encouraging – Enjoy Interactions

• Negative– Hostile– Criticizes– Annoyed and Frustrated

Positive Affect Predicts. . .• Decreased

– Extrinsic Motivation– Helplessness– Depression– Aggression

• Increased– Intrinsic Motivation– Mastery– Positive Emotional Functioning– Achievement

What Should a Parent Do?

• Authoritative Parenting– Provide Structure– Support Autonomy– Maintain Positive Affect

• Benjamin and Garrison

Children as Shapers

ChildWell-Being Parenting

It Takes a Parent and a Child

Parenting ChildWell Being

Child Attributes

Mothers’ Affect Depends on Children’s Helplessness

• Guiding Hypothesis• Mothers’ Affect

– Positive Affect on Days Assisted with Homework

• Children’s Helplessness– Mother, Teacher, and Child Reports

• Children’s Well-Being– Children Complete Questionnaires

Mothers’ Affect Depends on Children’s Helplessness

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

Low High

Maternal Positive Affect

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mot

iona

l Fu

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ning Low Child

HelplessnessHigh ChildHelplessness

Summary

• Be an Authoritative Parent– Provide Structure– Support Autonomy– Maintain Positive Affect

• It’s Not Just the Parent– The Effects of Parenting Depend on

What Children Bring– Parental Sensitivity to Children’s

Attributes