Mindful parents, mindful children? Exploring the mediating role of mindful parenting

Mindfulness in parents has been associated with a number of positive family characteristics, including positive parenting behaviors, fewer externalizing or internalizing difficulties in children, and positive parent-child relationships. However, little is known about whether parents’ mindfulness, through more mindful parenting, may be linked to children’s mindfulness. The present cross-sectional study sought to examine these indirect associations in mothers and fathers and their preadolescent children. One hundred and twelve triads consisting of mothers, fathers, and their 9- to 12-year-old children participated. Mothers and fathers rated their mindfulness and mindful parenting, while children rated their mindfulness. Path modeling resulted in associations between mindfulness and mindful parenting for both mothers and fathers. Mothers’ mindful parenting was positively associated with children’s mindfulness. Additionally, mothers’ mindfulness was indirectly associated with children’s mindfulness through mothers’ mindful parenting. This mediated effect was not significant for fathers. The results provide preliminary evidence that mindful parents may socialize mindfulness in their children via their parenting behaviors, at least for mothers. Implications are discussed with reference to the socialization of mindfulness in the family.