The Relationship Between Preschool Children's Self-Regulation Skills and Their Mothers' Parental Attitudes

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the link between self-regulation skills of pre-school children and mothers’ attitudes towards parenting. The research was performed with 392 mothers living in Hatay/Turkey with children aged 4-6. The data were collected using “The Self-Regulation Skills Scale for 4-6 year-old Children” and “The Parental Attitude Scale-Mother Form”. The results indicate that girls have higher attention and behavioral regulation skills compared to boys. While children’s working memory varies by age, it was seen that the order of birth did not change self-regulation scores. Parental attitudes are more negative among mothers aged 40 and over than those of younger ones, and mothers who completed primary education have lower levels of efficacy perceptions and show less affection to their children compared with high school and higher education graduates. A moderate positive correlation was discovered between the self-regulation skills of children and mothers’ parental attitudes. The results are discussed within the scope of the related literature and recommendations are offered.