Reciprocal influences among mother-grandmother coparenting relationship, mother-child attachment, and preschoolers’ self-control in Chinese intergenerational coparenting family

A growing body of research suggests that the development of preschoolers’ self-control in intergenerational coparenting families is related to the parent-grandparent coparenting relationship. However, little is known about their bidirectional association and the mechanism. This study aimed at investigating the longitudinal interrelationship between mother-grandmother coparenting relationship and preschoolers’ self-control, and exploring the role of mother-child attachment. A total of 280 Chinese intergenerational coparenting families involved in this study with a one-year cross-lagged design. Mother-grandmother coparenting relationship, preschoolers’ self-control, and mother-child attachment were measured at each stage of the year (T1, T2, and T3). Results indicated that mother-grandmother coparenting relationship positively predicted mother-child attachment, and mother-child attachment positively predicted preschoolers’ self-control. Although we did not find the direct association between mother-grandmother coparenting relationship and preschoolers’ self-control, our findings indicated that mother-grandmother coparenting relationship was indirectly related to preschoolers’ self-control through mother-child attachment. Additionally, we found a longitudinally bidirectional relationship between mother-child attachment and preschoolers’ self-control. This study extends our understanding of the relationship between intergenerational coparenting relationship and child development and provides implications for improving the parenting quality in intergenerational coparenting families.