This dissertation contributes to the literature on fathers’ parenting in families with young children using longitudinal, hormonal, and observational data. The results in Chapter 2 demonstrated... Show moreThis dissertation contributes to the literature on fathers’ parenting in families with young children using longitudinal, hormonal, and observational data. The results in Chapter 2 demonstrated that fathers’ hostile and harsh behaviors were related to children’s bullying behavior in elementary school, whereas the effect of the mothers’ behavior was less pronounced. In Chapter 3, the results suggested that fathers’ testosterone is beneficial for the quality of fathers’ parenting (i.e., sensitivity) when fathers’ testosterone reacts in the expected direction given the context of the father-child interaction (i.e., a decrease during a harmonious interaction and an increase during a challenging interaction). The results in Chapter 4 unexpectedly showed that fathers’ sensitivity was largely independent of varying gender-typed contexts. Chapter 5 provided evidence for a specific role of religious fathers, but not mothers, in communicating implicit gender messages and in turn the development of children’s gender attitudes. The most important take-away from this dissertation is that fathers cannot be ignored in child developmental and parenting research, and consequently also in child and family interventions. Show less
The general aim of the studies in this dissertation is to provide more insight in the role of family characteristics, parent characteristics, and child characteristics in early child emotion... Show moreThe general aim of the studies in this dissertation is to provide more insight in the role of family characteristics, parent characteristics, and child characteristics in early child emotion socialization and children’s social-emotional development. In Chapter 2 the degree to which fathers and mothers elaborate on emotions with their daughters and sons is examined from toddlerhood to preschool age. In addition, the role of gender stereotypes in parents’ use of emotion talk is examined. Chapter 3 reports on the role of the gender combination of siblings on everyday (emotion-related) parent-child interactions. Chapter 4 focuses on the potential influence of the proportion of male siblings in fathers’ and mothers’ family of origin on their current gender-typed parenting characteristics, including parents’ gendered use of emotion talk. In addition to a direct relation between parents’ family background and their gender-typed parenting, an indirect effect through parents’ testosterone levels is tested. In Chapter 5 a mediation model is tested in which the link between parents’ psychopathology symptoms and preschoolers’ social-emotional functioning is mediated by the degree to which parents elaborate on negative emotions with their children. Finally, in Chapter 6 the main findings of these empirical studies are reviewed and integrated. Show less
The overall aim of the studies presented in this dissertation is to provide insight in the differences and similarities between mothers' and fathers' parenting practices. Further, this... Show moreThe overall aim of the studies presented in this dissertation is to provide insight in the differences and similarities between mothers' and fathers' parenting practices. Further, this dissertation examines the effect of biological factors (i.e., parental sex hormones) and child factors (i.e., gender, age, and birth order) on parenting behavior of mothers and fathers. In Chapter 2 differences between mothers and fathers with respect to parental sensitivity and nonintrusiveness are studied, also examining child gender and birth order. Further, in Chapter 3 the effect of child age and birth order on mothers' and fathers' sensitivity and nonintrusiveness is examined longitudinally. Chapter 4 focuses on the association between sex hormones (i.e., testosterone) and parental sensitivity and nonintrusiveness of mothers and fathers towards their two young children. In Chapter 5 differences between mothers' and fathers' discipline strategies towards their firstborn and second-born children are examined, also taking into account child gender. Finally, in Chapter 6 the main findings and implications of the studies presented in this dissertation are discussed and suggestions for future research are made. Show less
This dissertation aims to address the gap in family research concerning the role of siblings in children’s social development. Firstborns’ interactions with their younger sibling and parenting... Show moreThis dissertation aims to address the gap in family research concerning the role of siblings in children’s social development. Firstborns’ interactions with their younger sibling and parenting towards all children in the family are investigated in a four-year longitudinal study following families with two children from the first birthday of the youngest child. In Chapter 2 the prediction of individual differences in sharing with a younger sibling by family and situational factors was investigated. In Chapter 3 the association between parental sensitivity towards both children and compliance and sharing behavior of the firstborn child was investigated. Chapter 4 focuses on sibling discipline and sibling support during parental limit-setting, and associations with inhibitory control, empathy, and gender. Finally, the effect of birth order on toddlers’ social development was examined with a longitudinal within-family design in Chapter 5. Show less
