Predictors Of The Everyday Parenting Practices Of Ukrainian Mothers Of Young Children With Special Needs Displaced By The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Abstract

Background: War has detrimental effects on the everyday family life of mothers and their children. Many mothers, however, adapt to war-related adversity and continue to maintain healthy parent-child relationships. Objective: The study described in this paper examined the predictors of the everyday parenting practices of 62 primary caregivers (81% mothers) of young children with special needs displaced from their homes and communities following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Method: Three proximal (maternal well-being, optimism, & consistency in everyday routines) and five distal (family needs, challenges locating needed resources, social support from host-county social network members, social connectedness with Ukrainian family and friends, and satisfaction with early childhood intervention practitioners) factors were the focus of investigation. Results: Findings showed that maternal well-being, maternal optimism, consistency in everyday routines, and social connectedness with Ukrainian family and friends, both individually and in combination, proved to be the best predictors of positive everyday parenting practices and parent-child interactions. Conclusion: The everyday parenting practices of displaced Ukrainian mothers were influenced by both proximal and distal explanatory factors.