The Association Between Mindful Parenting and Children’s Peer Social Competence in Chinese Families: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Introduction Parenting practices are closely associated with children’s peer social competence. As a positive parenting approach, mindful parenting is relevant to children’s emotional development and social adjustment. However, the pathways linking mindful parenting to children’s peer social competence remain insufficiently understood. Purpose In the context of Chinese culture, this study examined the association between mindful parenting and peer social competence among preschool children and investigated the mediating role of children’s emotion regulation and the moderating role of the parent-child relationship. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 531 families of kindergarten children. Parents completed the Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ), Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS), Social Competence With Peers Questionnaire (SCPQ), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Results All study variables were at moderate levels and showed substantial individual variation. Mindful parenting was positively associated with peer social competence (beta = 0.672, p < 0.001). Children’s emotion regulation mediated this association, accounting for 33% of the total effect, and parent-child closeness moderated the association between mindful parenting and emotion regulation (beta = 0.031, p < 0.05). Conclusion Mindful parenting was associated with peer social competence through the mediating role of children’s emotion regulation, and this indirect association varied according to parent-child closeness. The findings suggest that strengthening parents’ mindful awareness and parent-child closeness may support more adaptive emotional responses and, in turn, children’s peer interactions, providing a basis for family-based interventions.