Fathers’ and Mothers’ Play and Young Children’s Social Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: PS 14 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Background: Parent-child interactions have a significantly positive impact on children’s development and self-regulation abilities (Feldman & Eidleman, 2003, 2007; Mermelshtime & Barnes, 2016). The reciprocal nature of parental play also serves to strengthen children’s social-emotional skills (Amodia-Bidakowska, Laverty, & Ramchandani, 2020). Yet, most research on parent-child play has focused primarily on mothers, not accounting for the role of father-child play in children’s development (Amodia-Bidakowska et al., 2020).

Emerging literature demonstrates the increasing importance of fathers’ roles in children’s development. While mothers are often primary caregivers, fathers’ contributions to children’s social, emotional, behavioral, and regulatory skills via play may be especially important (Amodia-Bidakowska et al., 2020; St. George, Fletcher, & Palazzi, 2017). Specifically, fathers’ rough and tumble (R&T) play with children is highly correlated with children’s emotional development, behavioral functioning, and self-regulation abilities (St. George et al., 2017). High quality R&T play likely benefits children by providing opportunities to practice social skills, control impulsive behavior, and engage in reciprocity (St. George et al., 2017). In addition to R&T play, fathers’ challenging/exciting (C/E) parenting behavior may help children enhance self-regulation through managing aggression and practicing social skills (Amodia-Bidakowska et al., 2020).

Methods: Data from 84 families (mothers, fathers, and their first-born 7.5-year-old child) participating in a longitudinal study of family and child development were analyzed. Children’s social skills were assessed using fathers’ and mothers’ reports on the Social Skills Improvement System (Gresham & Elliott, 2008) and fathers’ and mothers’ R&T and C/E play were captured using their independent reports on the Parental Care and Play Questionnaire (Ahmadzadeh et al., 2020).

Results: As reported in the literature (Amodia-Bidakowska et al., 2020), there was a significant difference in the frequency of fathers’ R&T play (M = 14.6, SD = 2.87) and mothers’ R&T play (M = 12.6, SD = 2.37); (t = 5.55, df = 83, p < .001). However, there was no significant difference in the frequency of C/E play (t = -1.27, d = 83, p = .21). Preliminary correlational analyses found a moderate significant relationship between fathers’ R&T play and children’s social skills as reported by fathers (r = .38, p < .001), but not children’s social skills as reported by mothers (r = .03, p = .79). In contrast, mothers’ C/E play was positively associated with children’s social skills reported by fathers (r = .23, p = .04), but not reported by mothers themselves (r = .14, p = .18). Mothers’ R&T play was not associated with either parent’s report of children’s social skills. Additional planned analyses using multiple regression will examine the roles of both parents’ play in different aspects of children’s social skills and consider whether child gender moderates these relations.

Implications: Investigating the association between fathers’ play and children’s social skills helps us understand the ways in which fathers can have a positive impact on their children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. Knowledge of the role of fathers’ play in children’s development can also help shape policies and practices to facilitate, support, and encourage father-child interactions.

Authors

• Laura Simon, Ohio State University
  Presenting Author

• Sarah Jane Schoppe-Sullivan, Ohio State University
  Non-Presenting Author