Relationships Between Parenting Practices and Preschoolers’ Social Skills in African, Indo, and Mixed-Ethnic Families in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Following the tenets of cultural-ecological theories, this study examined the mediating role of ethnic socialization in the relationship between parenting practices and prosocial behavior and behavioral difficulties in 1,282 African, Indo- and mixed-ethnic Caribbean female caregivers in Trinidad and Tobago. Across ethnic groups, caregivers used a combination of high levels of positive parenting, rule setting, and material rewards, and moderate levels of harsh discipline and ethnic socialization. Indo and mixed-ethnic Caribbean caregivers engaged in more positive parenting and rule setting and offered more material rewards to children than African Caribbean caregivers, whereas African and mixed-ethnic Caribbean caregivers used more harsh discipline than Indo Caribbean caregivers. Ethnic socialization mediated the associations between parenting practices and prosocial behavior in children differently across the three ethnic groups. Harsh discipline had direct associations with antisocial behaviors in all ethnic groups. Data are discussed with respect to parental management style in difficult ecological niches and variations in the role of ethnic socialization in mediating the associations between parenting practices and childhood social development across ethnic groups.