Kim Bastaits and Dimitri Mortelmans (Journal of Child and Family Studies 2016)
This study looked at whether the parenting style of non-residential parents (both mums and dads) acted as a protective factor for the child’s well-being. The study confirmed what we already guessed – that children’s self-esteem and life satisfaction were higher when the parent they lived with showed higher levels of parental support (i.e. emotional warmth) as well as parental control (i.e. setting appropriate boundaries).
This study is important in that it looks at both mothers and fathers and it serves to highlight how important it is that parents maintain high levels of involvement with their children even when they have moved out of the home.
However, non-resident parents’ levels of support and control also impacted on children’s well-being. Interestingly, when father’s were the non-resident parent, their levels of parental support increased when their ex-wife re-partnered. This study is important in that it looks at both mothers and fathers and it serves to highlight how important it is that parents maintain high levels of involvement with their children even when they have moved out of the home.
