Mahboubeh Bagheri; karineh tahmassian; Mohammad Ali Mazaheri
Abstract
Mindful Parenting is a new application of mindfulness which aims to improve parenting through promoting the quality of parental attention and emotional awareness. Parent Management Training also focuses on the quality of parent-child relationship and involves learning new skills in order to modify children's ...
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Mindful Parenting is a new application of mindfulness which aims to improve parenting through promoting the quality of parental attention and emotional awareness. Parent Management Training also focuses on the quality of parent-child relationship and involves learning new skills in order to modify children's behavior. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of mindful parenting and parent management training integrative program and parent management training program on psychological wellbeing and happiness of children. The research method was experimental including pretest-posttest with a control group design. The study population included all children in fourth to sixth grade in District 8 of Qom city in 96-95 school year, accompanied by their mothers. The sample included 41 children from fourth to sixth grade accompanied by their mothers that were selected by convenient sampling and assigned in experimental and control groups by random sampling. Research tools used on mothers included the mindful parenting and parent management training integrative program, 4-item happiness questionnaire and interpersonal mindfulness in parenting. Circular Mood and psychological wellbeing scale were the tools that were used on children. Participants completed the research tools in three phases of pretest, posttest and follow up. One group received mindful parenting and parent management training integrative program, while another group received only parent management training in 8 sessions, each 2 hours per week at a meeting. Mixed analysis of variance showed that the integrative program was more effective than parent management training in psychological wellbeing (F=7/57/ P<0/01) and these changes remained constant in follow up phase. There were no any differences between the two groups in happiness. Higher efficacy of integrative program in psychological wellbeing can be dependent upon application of mindful parenting principals. It seems that mindful parenting causes enrichment in parent- child relationship and consequently increases psychological well-being in children through mechanisms such as listening with full attention, accepting without judgment, compassion, self-regulation and emotional consciousness.