Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

Discussions centering around “the” optimal parenting style have been occurring since researchers have had interest in parent-child interactions. Similarly, the effects of parenting stress on children’s development have been researched widely. The relationships among parenting styles, parenting stress, and parents’ perceptions of their young children’s competencies have not received significant attention, however. As such, this study sought to understand these relationships in a clinical sample of mothers and fathers with young children. This study collected self-report data from 84 mothers and 43 fathers regarding their parenting styles, parenting stress, and ratings of competencies displayed by their young children. Regression analyses suggested that, for mothers’ reports, an authoritative parenting style was related negatively with parenting stress and that parenting stress was related negatively with peer acceptance. Further, following mediation regression analyses, the relationship between authoritative parenting styles and peer acceptance was mediated fully by parenting stress for mothers’ reports. Such mediational findings were not replicated for fathers’ reports. These results suggested the importance of parenting styles and parenting stress for young children’s development of competencies, especially from mothers’ perspectives.

Keywords: Parenting styles, peer acceptance, parenting stress, young children