1-180 - Contextual determinants of parenting among low-income and ethnic minority children: The role of protective factors

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Although we know that children growing up in poverty are more likely to experience adversity and disadvantage, we know less about the ecological and family-level factors that protect them. In this panel we advance work in this area by focusing on the contextual determinants of parenting among low-income immigrant families and its association with child adjustment. Guided by ecological models, the studies in this panel are innovative in that they use observational data of mother-child interactions, include fathers, and explore strengths that interventions can build on to improve the lives of children and families.
The first paper examines the association between Latino mothers’ stress, cultural beliefs (familism), family routines, and toddler’s inhibitory control skills. They find that parenting stress was negatively related to having routines in the home, and intrusiveness was negatively associated with children’s inhibitory control skills.
The second paper examines the roles that parent gender, ethnicity, and culture play in parental knowledge about child development. Results suggest that parenting interventions need to be tailored differently for fathers and mothers.
Finally, the third paper examines the protective role of social support on the association between stress and children’s social skills in a sample of low-income Latino immigrant families. Their findings suggest that social support is an important protective factor against the negative effects of stress.
Collectively, these studies highlight key sources of variability and strengths among low-income families and suggest various ways in which we can potentially intervene to improve their lives.

Sub Unit

• Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Chair

• Catherine Kuhns, University of Maryland

Discussant

• Cynthia Garcia Coll, Carlos Albizu University

Individual Presentations

• How do low-income Latino immigrant mothers promote their toddlers´ inhibitory control? - Presenting Author: Daniela Aldoney, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago; Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland

• What does an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Fathers and Mothers Know About Child Development? - Presenting Author: Wendy Ochoa, University of California, Irvine; Stephanie M Reich, University of California, Irvine; Wendy Garrard, University of California Irvine; Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland; Catherine Kuhns, University of Maryland

• Stress, parenting, and children’s social skills among low-income immigrant Latino families: The protective role of social support - Presenting Author: Catherine Kuhns, University of Maryland; Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland; Kelsey Garcia, University of Maryland; Jenessa Malin, University of Maryland