Child routines mediate the relationship between parenting and social-emotional development in Chinese children

• Published in: Children and youth services review Vol. 98; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Ren, Lixin, Hu, Bi Ying, Song, Zhanmei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Authoritative parenting; Behavior problems; Behavioral problems; Child development; Child routines; Childrearing practices; Children; Children & youth; Chinese parenting practices; Elementary school students; Emotional development; Emotional well being; Emotions; Parent-child relations; Parents & parenting; Prevention programs; Quantitative psychology; Reliability; Social development; Social problems; Social programs; Social skills; Structural equation modeling; Elementary school students; Child routines; Behavioral problems; Chinese parenting practices; Social skills
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.12.016

The positive role of routines in the social-emotional development of children has received theoretical and empirical support in the Western research literature on the topic. However, the role of child routines has rarely been examined in non-Western cultures. Using data collected from 228 Chinese parents of second grade children, this study first examined the psychometric properties of the Child Routines Inventory. The instrument exhibited sound construct validity as well as reliability. Next, we examined whether child routines mediated the relationships between parenting practices and children's social skills and behavioral problems using structural equation modeling. The results showed that child routines fully mediated the relations between authoritative parenting and social-emotional functioning in children. The children with parents who employed higher levels of authoritative parenting were found to have more consistent routines. In turn, these children exhibited greater social skills and fewer behavioral problems. These findings offer preliminary evidence that child routines play a critical role in the social-emotional development of Chinese children, suggesting the need to include child routines in prevention and intervention programs aimed at enhancing social-emotional outcomes in Chinese children. •The role of routines in child development has rarely been studied in China.•More consistent routines were related to better social skills in Chinese children.•More consistent routines were related to fewer child behavioral problems.•Routines mediated the role of authoritative parenting in child social outcomes.•Authoritarian parenting was positively associated with child behavioral problems.