Parental Social Comparisons and Parent–Child Closeness in Families with Preschool Children: The Roles of Mindful Parenting and Parents’ Education Anxiety

Chinese parents have a tendency to compare their children with peers. However, little is known about the implications of parental social comparisons for parent–child interactions. The current study investigated the associations between parental social comparisons and parent–child closeness among 317 Chinese parents of 5- to 6-year-old children. In addition, the mediating role of mindful parenting and the moderating role of parental education anxiety were examined. Results showed that parents’ upward contrast was negatively associated with parent–child closeness, upward identification was positively associated with parent–child closeness, whereas downward contrast and downward identification were unrelated to parent–child closeness. Additionally, mindful parenting mediated the relations of parental upward contrast and upward identification to parent–child closeness. Moreover, parents’ education anxiety moderated the negative association between upward contrast and mindful parenting, such that this association was stronger in parents with lower education anxiety levels. These findings highlight the importance of guiding parents to avoid non-constructive social comparison strategies and helping them manage their education anxiety, with potential implications for promoting positive parent–child interactions.