Preschool children with and without developmental delay: behaviour problems, parents' optimism and well-being.
When preschoolers with delays show tough behaviors, boosting Mom’s optimism protects her mood and marriage.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Baker et al. (2005) asked moms of preschoolers about child behavior, their own mood, and how hopeful they felt. Half the kids had developmental delays; half did not.
The team used surveys and short rating scales. They looked at whether child problems and Mom’s optimism predicted her well-being and marriage stress.
What they found
More child behavior problems meant more maternal depression and marital strain. The link was strongest for moms who scored low on optimism.
Optimism acted like a shield. Hopeful moms stayed happier even when their kids showed lots of problem behaviors.
How this fits with other research
Ellingsen et al. (2014) and Ellingsen et al. (2014) extend the same idea. They show optimism also keeps parenting quality high, not just mood, from preschool through middle childhood.
Jones et al. (2014) looks similar but swaps the buffer. They found mindfulness and acceptance, not optimism, cut parent distress when autistic kids act out. The papers do not clash; they just point to different tools you can teach.
Kellett et al. (2015) adds a body-level outcome: child behavior problems in DD families predict parent obesity, again showing kid actions shape adult health.
Why it matters
You can’t erase every tantrum, but you can raise Mom’s optimism. Start sessions with a quick win she can notice today. Share tiny data jumps: “He waited three seconds before screaming.” Over weeks those wins feed hope, and hopeful moms report less depression and stay more engaged in therapy.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disability are at heightened risk for behaviour problems, and these are known to increase parenting stress. This study explored the relation of behaviour problems to less child-related domains of parent well-being (depression and marital adjustment), as well as the moderating effect of a personality trait, dispositional optimism. METHOD: Participating children (N = 214) were classified as developmentally delayed, borderline, or nondelayed. Mothers' and fathers' well-being and child behaviour problems were assessed at child ages 3 and 4 years. RESULTS: Parents of delayed and nondelayed preschoolers generally did not differ on depression or marital adjustment, but child behaviour problems were strongly related to scores on both measures. Optimism moderated this relationship, primarily for mothers. When child behaviour problems were high, mothers who were less optimistic reported lower scores on measures of well-being than did mothers who were more optimistic. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions for parents that aim to enhance both parenting skills and psychological well-being should be available in preschool. It may be beneficial for such programmes to focus not only on behaviour management strategies aimed at child behaviour change, but also on parents' belief systems, with the aim of increasing dispositional optimism.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2005 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00691.x