Hard and Soft Building Blocks of Positive Parent–Child Relationships——A Preliminary Review

Positive parent–child relationships serve as an essential foundation for the mental well-being of children. Researchers concur that both family demographic-related (e.g., parental age and socioeconomic status) and family process-related (e.g., parental empathy and mindfulness) factors may impact the quality of the parent–child relationship. Relative to these rigid and “hard” demographic traits, researchers found that these flexible and “soft” family process factors——especially these parental psychological traits——could be malleable via parental training. The potential key elements underpinning the positive relationship have not been explored. This study aims to provide a preliminary review of the topic, specifically focusing on these soft elements. A better understanding of these soft and hard building blocks may help parents and parents-to-be become more oriented while building a positive relationship with their children.