Parental Attitudes, the Need for Socio-Psychological Support and Relationships with One's Own Mother in Modern Models of Motherhood

Abstract

Objective. Comparison of educational attitudes and features of socio-psychological support for women focused on an intensive and extensive model of motherhood. Identification of the relationship with the mothers and the image of their own mother in women who implement an extensive model of motherhood in the upbringing of an early child.
Background. In modern society there is no single idea of "good" motherhood, there are many typologies of maternal practice. The implemented model of motherhood depends on relationships with the child's father, the characteristics of relationships with their own parents, attachment models, care traditions, value-semantic orientations, motivation, emotional and personal characteristics, etc. In addition, when a child reaches 1,5 years of age, mothers end paid leave to care for him, and state preschool institutions accept children for a full day from 2,5–3 years. Deciding who and to what extent will take care of the child, some mothers.
Study design. The study consisted of two parts. In one part, a comparison was made of parental attitudes and the need for socio-psychological support among women focused on an extensive and intensive model of motherhood when raising children 1,5-3 years old. We studied the relationship between parental attitude and the need for social support from a significant environment. In another part, we analyzed the features of the relationship with their own mother in women who involve a nanny or their own mother in caring for children. The results were processed using the Mann-Whitney (U), X2-Pearson, Wilcoxon (W), Spearman correlation criterion (r).
Participants. 75 women (24–40 years old) raising children 1,5–3 years old, married, unemployed or part-time took part.
Measurements. "Parental Attitude Research Instrument", RARI E.S. Schaefer, R.Q. Bell, adapted by T.V. Neshcheret; "The need for socio-psychological support" M.E. Lantsburg, T.O. Archarova; "Social support" F-SOZU-22 G. Sommer and T. Fidrich, adapted by A.B. Kholmogorova, G.A. Petrova; "The idea of an ideal parent" V.R. Ovcharova, Yu.Ya. Dyagtereva, its modifications "I as a parent" and "My mother as a parent", a modified version of the technique "Unfinished sentences".
Results. Women who attract a babysitter to care for them have a greater emotional distance with an early-age child, compared with women who raise a child independently. With an extensive model, women's attitudes are more related to the desire to accelerate the development of the child and dissatisfaction with the role of hostess. Women focused on an extensive model of motherhood are more in need of support from relatives. There is a difference in the relationship with their own mother among women focused on different types of extensive parenthood. With the high involvement of grandmothers in childcare, women have a pronounced emotional tension of relations with their mother, while the image of their own mother is close to the ideal idea of a parent. When choosing a babysitter as a childcare assistant, the relationship between an adult daughter and mother is more even, but for women, the image of their own mother is far from the ideal image of a parent.
Conclusions. There is a difference in the educational attitudes of women focused on extensive and intensive models of motherhood. With an extensive model, mothers of young children are more in need of emotional and evaluative support from a significant environment. The image of one's own mother and the relationship with one's own mother have significant differences among women who involve a nanny and a grandmother in caring for a child.