Implications of mothering and fathering for children's development

Theory and current research on parenting suggest that responsive parent involvement promotes optimal developmental outcomes for children (Bradley, Corwyn, Burchinal, McAdoo, & Coll, 2001; Coyl, Newland, & Freeman, 2010; Flouri & Buchanan, 2003, 2004; Kiernan & Huerta, 2008; NICHD, 2004; Tamis-LeMonda, Shannon, Cabrera, & Lamb, 2004). Mothers and fathers may be involved in similar and unique ways, engaging in complementary parenting roles within the family system (Grossmann, Grossmann, Kindler, & Zimmermann, 2008; Lamb, 1997; Newland & Coyl, 2010; Newland, Coyl, & Freeman, 2008; Newland, Freeman, & Coyl, 2011; Paquette, 2004; Paquette & Bigras, 2010; Pleck & Masciadrelli, 2004). Research indicates that mother–child relationships are often characterised by didactic and caregiving interactions in which maternal warmth and sensitivity are associated with positive child outcomes, while father–child interactions are more commonly characterised by playful interchanges that include teasing, rough-and-tumble play, and encouragement of risk taking (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991; Bianchi, Robinson, & Milkie, 2006; Bowlby, 1969/1982; Bretherton, Lambert, & Golby, 2005; Dumont & Paquette, 2008; Fletcher, 2011; Grossmann et al., 2002; Kazura, 2000; Lamb, 1976, 1997; Livingston & Parker, 2011; Milkie, Kendig, Nomaguchi, & Denny, 2010; Newland & Coyl, 2010; Paquette, 2004; Parke & O’Leary, 1976; Roopnarine & Mounts, 1985; Yeung, Sandberg, DavisKean, & Hofferth, 2001). These interactions vary depending on child gender and age, as well as family dynamics, including co-parenting practices, couple relationship quality, parental perspectives on gender roles, and family contextual or eco-cultural influences (Caldera & Lindsey, 2006; Carlson, Pilkauskas, McLanahan, & BrooksGunn, 2011; Cowan, Cowan, & Mehta, 2009; Freeman, Newland, & Coyl, 2008; Lamb, Pleck, Charnov, & Levine, 1987; McHale & Rasmussen, 1998; Mehall, Spinrad, Eisenberg, & Gaertner, 2009; Newland, Coyl, & Chen, 2010; Raley & Bianchi, 2006; Yoshida, 2012). This collection of research studies is focused on the similarities and differences in mother–child and father–child interactions, and the ways in which these interaction patterns influence children’s development across social, emotional, and cognitive/ language domains from infancy through middle childhood. It includes academic and practitioner-oriented papers from researchers working with diverse children and families around the world. These studies are organised by developmental periods, focusing on mother–child and father–child interactions in infancy/toddlerhood, the preschool, and the school-age periods. The first six studies in this collection focus on mother and father roles and involvement practices with infants and toddlers, beginning with Rebecca Giallo, Karli Treyvaud, Amanda Cooklin, and Catherine Wade’s investigation of mother and father involvement practices with children up to age four in a large Australian sample. The authors explore the influence of child, parent, and family factors on involvement strategies, the mediating effect of parental self-efficacy, and differences in the patterns of