Child Routines Mediate Parent-child Relationships and Child Adjustment During COVID-19 School Suspension in Hong Kong

• In Event: Parenting during COVID

Abstract

Background
Routines promote expected behaviors with senses of order, predictability, and structure (Sytsma et al., 2001). During the past five waves of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, prolonged school suspension may have contributed to the disruption of children’s daily routines, putting them at a greater risk for maladjustment (Majnemer et al., 2021). Children are more likely to elicit regular routines in a close parent-child relationship that is low in conflict, since such high-quality relationship enables parents to act as role models with consistent behaviors and convey predictable environmental cues for children to comply with (Hughes & Ensor, 2009; Karreman et al., 2008). In turn, well-established routines provide children with opportunities to better regulate their emotions and behaviors, which are beneficial to their adjustment (Hahn et al., 2012). While previous research has indicated the positive links between parent-child relationships and child adjustment (Driscoll & Pianta, 2011), no studies have examined the mediating role of child routines between parent-child relationships and both children’s externalizing and internalizing problems, especially in non-western families and in times of COVID-19. This study aimed to address these gaps.
Method
A total of 937 parents (87.8% mothers) of children aged 5-12 (51% girls) participated in an online survey, which was part of a larger investigation of parenting and child well-being during the fifth wave COVID-19 school suspension in Hong Kong. Parents reported on measures including Child-Parent Relationship Scale (Driscoll & Pianta, 2011), Daily Living Routine Subscale in Child Routine Inventory (Sytsma et al., 2001), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). Cronbach’s alphas of the measures ranged from .69 to .88. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the mediating effects of child routines. Children’s coronavirus infection in the past three months, their age, gender, and family SES including parents’ educational level and family monthly income, were set as covariates.
Results
The model showed adequate fit. Parent-child closeness and conflict were positively and negatively related to child routines, respectively. In turn, child routines were negatively related to children’s externalizing problems. Parent-child closeness was negatively related to children’s externalizing and internalizing problems, whereas parent-child conflict was positively related to the externalizing and internalizing problems. Based on 10000 bootstrap samples, the 95% confidence interval of the two indirect effects between parent-child relationships and child externalizing problems via child routines did not include zeros, suggesting child routines as a mediator.
Discussion
This study reveals that child routines mediate the associations between parent-child relationships and children’s externalizing problems. This is probably because daily living routines are more related to compliance and behavior regulation central for externalizing instead of internalizing behaviors (Bater & Jordan, 2017). The findings inform researchers, educators, and practitioners to support parents in promoting high quality parent-child relationships for establishing routines (e.g., eating meals with family at the table each day, brushing teeth before bed) to prevent children’s behavioral problems, especially among families with poor parent-child relationships during prolonged school suspension under pandemic.

Authors

• Xiaoyuan Wu, The Education University of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author

• Eva Y.H. Lau, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Jianbin Li, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Derwin King Chung Chan, The Education University of Hong Kong