Factors related to parenting styles of Chinese mothers of children with and without intellectual disability

BackgroundParenting styles play a crucial role in children's development. However, approaches to parenting children with intellectual disability (ID) beyond Western cultures have been underexamined. This study compared the self-reported parenting styles of Chinese mothers of children with and without ID and examined some factors that might be related. MethodsChinese mothers of children with ID (n = 173) and mothers of typically developing children (n = 119) completed measures of their parenting style, parenting stress, parenting sense of competence and family support. ResultsBoth groups endorsed similar levels of authoritative parenting, but mothers of children with ID were more likely to report adopting strategies aligned with authoritarian parenting. For mothers in the ID group, family support moderated the effects of parenting stress and parenting sense of competence on authoritative parenting. Parenting stress and parenting sense of competence, respectively, predicted authoritarian parenting for mothers of children with and without ID. ConclusionsThis study highlights the importance of reducing parenting stress, strengthening parenting sense of competence and providing family support in order to promote optimal parenting styles for Chinese mothers of children with ID.