Children's socioemotional skills and fathers' work satisfaction: Mediation of fathers' parenting

Objective: In this study, we examined the bidirectional association between fathers' work satisfaction and children's socioemotional skills from T1 (age 2) to T2 (age 4–5) and the mediating role of fathers' parenting. Background: For many parents, balancing family and work roles can be challenging, particularly for fathers who are now expected to be both “ideal workers” and “involved fathers.” With multiple roles, fathers' experiences at work and in the family may have a mutual influence on each other. Method: This study used structural equation modeling on secondary data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, to examine the associations and mediation mechanisms. Results: Results indicate a positive association between fathers' work satisfaction at T1 and children's socioemotional skills at T2 through fathers' higher self-efficacy and lower parenting stress. Additionally, there was a positive association between children's socioemotional skills at T1 and fathers' work satisfaction at T2 through fathers' higher responsibility and lower parenting stress. Conclusion: Findings provide support for the spillover theory regarding the mutual influence of fathers' work-related experiences and children's development. Implications: To help parents balance the demands of work and family, effective parenting education programs and supportive or person-centered workplace policies are both essential.