Arribas Celia, Catalá Patricia, Peñacoba Cecilia, Crespo Maria, Kestler-Peleg Miri
Department of Psychology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda. de Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
School of Social Work, Ariel University, Emek Dotan 1, Kochav Yair 40700, Israel.
Children (Basel). 2025 May 5;12(5):601. doi: 10.3390/children12050601.
Child-centrism refers to a parenting style where parents prioritize children's needs above their own. Early research suggested that it could harm parental well-being, yet recent findings indicate that mothers adopting this style may experience greater psychological well-being and meaning in child-rearing. This study examines child-centrism as a complex, context-dependent style and aims to clarify its adaptive or non-adaptive nature through a prospective, longitudinal approach.
A four-wave design included 231 mothers assessed at (T1) third trimester of pregnancy, (T2) eight weeks postpartum, (T3) five months postpartum, and (T4) five years postpartum. Self-reported measures included life satisfaction (T1), maternal self-efficacy (T2), positive affect (T3), and child-centrism (T4). Sociodemographic data (age, family status, education, income, working) were also collected. Statistical analyses tested a serial mediation model.
Life satisfaction at T1 significantly predicted maternal self-efficacy at T2 ( = 0.002), which in turn enhanced positive affect at T3 ( < 0.001). Positive affect at T3 then positively influenced child-centrism at T4 ( = 0.023). However, life satisfaction did not directly affect child-centrism ( = 0.970), indicating a sequential mediation pathway rather than a direct link.
These findings highlight that higher prenatal life satisfaction indirectly fosters an adaptive form of child-centrism through maternal self-efficacy and positive affect. Integrating motherhood into a woman's sense of identity appears to be a protective factor, promoting healthier cognitive and affective parenting resources. Preventive interventions could focus on strengthening women's life satisfaction and self-efficacy early in pregnancy, thereby enhancing affective well-being and potentially leading to a more meaningful, child-centric parenting style. Further research should include broader maternal and child well-being indicators.
以儿童为中心是指一种育儿方式，即父母将孩子的需求置于自身需求之上。早期研究表明，这种方式可能损害父母的幸福感，但最近的研究结果表明，采用这种方式的母亲在育儿过程中可能会体验到更高的心理健康水平和育儿意义。本研究将以儿童为中心视为一种复杂的、依赖情境的方式，旨在通过前瞻性的纵向研究方法阐明其适应性或非适应性本质。
采用四波设计，对231名母亲进行评估，评估时间分别为（T1）妊娠晚期、（T2）产后8周、（T3）产后5个月和（T4）产后5年。自我报告的测量指标包括生活满意度（T1）、母亲自我效能感（T2）、积极情绪（T3）和以儿童为中心（T4）。还收集了社会人口统计学数据（年龄、家庭状况、教育程度、收入、工作情况）。统计分析检验了一个串行中介模型。
T1时的生活满意度显著预测了T2时的母亲自我效能感（=0.002），而母亲自我效能感又反过来增强了T3时的积极情绪（<0.001）。T3时的积极情绪随后对T4时的以儿童为中心产生了积极影响（=0.023）。然而，生活满意度并未直接影响以儿童为中心（=0.970），这表明存在一个顺序中介路径而非直接联系。
这些研究结果突出表明，较高的产前生活满意度通过母亲自我效能感和积极情绪间接促进了一种适应性的以儿童为中心的形式。将母亲身份融入女性的自我认同感似乎是一个保护因素，促进更健康的认知和情感育儿资源。预防性干预措施可以侧重于在孕期早期增强女性的生活满意度和自我效能感，从而提高情感幸福感，并可能导致更有意义的、以儿童为中心的育儿方式。进一步的研究应纳入更广泛的母婴幸福感指标。
