Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Involvement Practices in Children’s Development

Using data from the 30th wave of the “The Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey — Higher School of Economics (RLMS–HSE)”, the process of intergenerational transmission of parental involvement practices is analyzed by comparing data on current practices involving children with those of parents’ retrospective experiences. The analysis showed that mothers in both generations are more involved in interaction with children than fathers, and the most significant channels for the transmission of parental practices are mother-to-daughter and father-to-son, while the retrospective frequency of father’s involvement is also important for the “father-son” pair. The study reveals factors influencing the transmission process: higher education, urban residence, and having your firstborn at a later age reduce its level, probably due to broader life experience utilized in parenting. It is shown that mothers consistently engage in practices such as attending parent-teacher meetings and taking their children to the doctor, while these practices are less common for fathers and may be influenced by personal experiences and external factors. The practice of taking vacations with a child and physical activity are the most dependent on retrospective experience for both parents, while the reading experience gained from their own father is also important for men. The overall level of parental involvement has been found to be positively correlated with similar practices among other relatives, indicating the involvement of grandmothers in the lives of previous generations. In general, the overall level of engagement of modern parents is consistent with a similar retrospective indicator.