Child emotional problems: Associations with maternal distress and parenting practices

Abstract Objective The primary aim of the present study was to explore the associations among COVID‐19 distress, maternal parenting practices (e.g., adaptive and maladaptive parenting), COVID‐19 exposure, and emotional problems of preschoolers (ages 3 to 6) in Chinese culture. Background In the current study, we focused on Shanghai kindergarteners who, due to the complete COVID‐19 citywide lockdown, experienced an interruption in learning and social interaction. Method Participants were 382 mothers of children ( M age = 5.49 years, SD = 0.62; 53.4% boys) from one kindergarten in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Upon obtaining consent, mothers completed the measures (administered via an online survey website) of COVID‐19 exposure, COVID‐19 distress, and maternal parenting practices and child's emotional problems. Results Our main finding showed that the relation between COVID‐19 exposure and children's emotional problems is serially explained by COVID‐19 distress and maladaptive parenting. Conclusion The COVID‐19 pandemic has induced and exacerbated a variety of stressors that impact mothers' parenting behavior, which in turn exacerbated child emotional problems. Implications This research adds to our understanding of the negative impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on Chinese families.