The Buffering Effect of Childhood Routines: Longitudinal Connections Between Early Parenting and Prekindergarten Learning Readiness of Children in Low-Income Families

Abstract

.The importance of quality parenting as a contributing factor to children's competence in emotion and behavior regulation and learning readiness during early childhood is grounded in research that is multifaceted and supported by attachment theory. By conducting secondary data analysis with 2,977 children in low-income families enrolled in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE), this study investigated the longitudinal connections between early parenting and child developmental outcomes across 3 child age-related time periods: 14 months, 36 months, and 60 months. The parent–child processes are supported by conceptualizations on the developmental trajectories in children. Path analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that parenting stress mediates the consequences of early parenting. Engagement in child routines at bedtime buffers early parenting and parenting stress with effects on child emotion and behavior regulation and later learning readiness for language and problem solving. Analyses controlled for a child's gender and race/ethnicity. The findings suggest that using child routines as a way to address the negative effects in compromised early childhood environments offers an integrative framework for practice intervention and policy. Future research directions recommend testing of different dosages of child routines on child development. Study limitations and implications for practice and program development are considered.