The Impact of Fathers' Involvement on Young Children's Happiness: Sequential Mediation via Maternal Warmth and Children's Self-Esteem

This study investigated how fathers' involvement in childcare affects young children's subjective well-being, with mothers' warm parenting behaviors and children's self-esteem acting as sequential mediators. Data were gathered from 762 young children and their parents during the sixth and seventh waves of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). Fathers' involvement was measured by reverse-coding mothers' reports on the division of parenting tasks. Children's self-esteem was evaluated using the maternal acceptance subscale from Harter & Pike's instrument, which consists of four items. Sequential mediation models were analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS macro, controlling for children's age and gender.<br/> The results showed that fathers' involvement significantly predicted mothers' warm parenting behaviors, which subsequently predicted children's self-esteem. In turn, children's self-esteem significantly influenced their well-being. While the direct effects of paternal involvement and maternal warm parenting on children's well-being were not statistically significant, two indirect pathways were identified: a simple mediation through children's self-esteem and a sequential double mediation involving mothers' warm parenting behaviors followed by children's self-esteem.<br/>These findings suggest that paternal involvement enhances children's well-being by promoting warm interactions from mothers and proving children's perceptions of maternal acceptance. To optimize these benefits, multilevel interventions are necessary to strengthen paternal emotional engagement, support maternal warm parenting practices, and enhance children's feelings of acceptance.