Toward positive parenting: Exploring the relationship between empathy and gratitude and parental attitudes

Background: Despite many studies on parental attitudes, the extent to which parents’ emotional resources of parents, such as empathy and gratitude, are associated with parental behaviours and attitudes towards children remains unclear. Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the emotional disposition to being grateful and empathetic in parents and their positive parenting attitudes as emotional warmth, autonomy support, and democratic attitude. In addition, the relationship between empathy, gratitude, and negative attitudes such as punitive, permissive discipline and anxious intrusiveness was assessed. Methodology: A sample of 712 Polish parents of children aged between six months and twelve years completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test, and the Parental Behaviours and Dimensions Questionnaire. Results: The two proposed structural equation models (SEM) confirmed that empathy and gratitude are predictors of positive and negative parenting dimensions. In addition, gratitude plays a mediating role between different dimensions of empathy and parenting behaviours. Emotional empathy, personal distress and simple appreciation are the most significant factors for positive parental attitudes. Punitive and permissive attitudes are associated with empathy, but not with gratitude. In contrast, anxious intrusiveness is associated with both empathy and gratitude. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between parents’ emotional resources and their parental behaviours. The results suggest that parents should enhance the experience of empathy and gratitude in their daily lives, as these emotions strengthen positive parental behaviours and weaken negative parenting.