Parenting Young Children: The Interplay Between Mothers’ and Fathers’ Daily Behaviors and Well-Being

This study highlights the distinction between parents’ general well-being and parental well-being. It reveals the interplay between daily parenting behaviors and individual well-being, as well as the impact of one partner’s (particularly fathers’) behaviors on the other partner’s well-being. These findings contribute to broadening the discourse on parenting by shifting the focus beyond child outcomes to include the role of parenting behaviors in promoting parents’ own well-being and family resilience. This study examined mothers’ and fathers’ daily parenting behaviors through the lens of the Parenting Pentagon Model, which identifies five constructs of beneficial parenting: Partnership, Leadership, Expressions of Love, Encouraging Independence, and Adherence to Rules. The study explored the associations between parenting behaviors and parents’ general and parental well-being. Participants included 170 Israeli parents (85 couples) with young children aged six months to nine years. They completed self-report measures assessing parenting behaviors, well-being, and sociodemographic factors (e.g., family size, education, employment). Analyses explored how sociodemographic factors and parenting behaviors explain parental and general well-being within and across genders. Parents reported frequent beneficial parenting behaviors, with Love being the most prevalent. Mothers reported significantly higher Love behaviors, while other constructs showed no gender differences. Parenting behaviors strongly predicted well-being: Mothers’ behaviors explained 48% (parental) and 44% (general) of their well-being, while fathers’ behaviors explained 35% and 23%, respectively. Fathers’ behaviors more strongly predicted mothers’ well-being (24% parental, 22% general) than mothers’ behaviors predicted fathers’ well-being (13% parental, 11% general). Socio-demographic factors (family size and employment) were associated with maternal well-being.