A Little Autonomy Support Goes a Long Way: Daily Autonomy-Supportive Parenting, Child Well-Being, Parental Need Fulfillment, and Change in Child, Family, and Parent Adjustment Across the Adaptation to the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study examined effects of daily parental autonomy support on changes in child behavior, family environment, and parental well-being across three weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Day-to-day associations among autonomy-supportive parenting, need fulfillment, and child well-being were also assessed. Parents (longitudinal N=469; Mage=42.93, SDage=6.40) of school children (6-19 years) reported on adjustment measures at two measurement occasions and filled in up to 21 daily online questionnaires in the three weeks between these assessments. Results from dynamic structural equation models suggested reciprocal positive relations among autonomy-supportive parenting and parental need fulfillment. Daily parental autonomy support, need fulfillment, and child well-being partially predicted change in adjustment measures highlighting the central role of daily parenting for children’s adjustment during the pandemic.