Open Access

ARTICLE

Fathers’ overprotective parenting and young children’s problem behaviors: Mediating by mothers’ overprotective attitudes and parenting stress

Ruiqian Li^1,*, Peibing Zheng¹, Mengxin Yan¹, Xinyi Zhou², Ziyu Wu¹, Yiting Wang¹

1 Department of Early Childhood Education, School of Education and Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, 312000, China
2 Department of Early Childhood Education, College of Teacher Education, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, China

* Corresponding Author: Ruiqian Li. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2025, 35(5), 681-688. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.069421

Received 23 June 2025; Accepted 11 September 2025; Issue published 24 October 2025

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between paternal overprotective parenting and problem behaviors of preschool children, and maternal overprotective attitudes and parenting stress mediation of that relationship. Data were collected from 265 families, including parents and preschool children (ages 3–6). The results revealed that paternal overprotective attitudes significantly influenced maternal overprotective attitudes and maternal parenting stress. Maternal overprotective attitudes, in turn, increased maternal parenting stress, exacerbated children’s problem behaviors. Paternal overprotective attitudes indirectly contributed to these behaviors through both maternal overprotective attitudes and parenting stress. The effect was more pronounced on boy than girl younger than older preschoolers. These findings are explained by the family systems theory through the mechanism of interconnected parental subsystems, wherein paternal overprotection triggers maternal stress and overprotective attitudes, ultimately affecting child behaviors. Healthy parenting would entail psychologically safe paternal overprotection, lower maternal stress, and promoting autonomy-supportive parenting practices to reduce the risk of problem behaviors in preschool children.

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Keywords

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