The Influence of Self-Compassion on Mindful Parenting: A Mediation Model of Gratitude

Mindful parenting, a concept that has been coined and examined recently, refers to a parent’s ability to bring complete attention to their children in the present moment. The aims of this study are to examine the relationship between self-compassion and mindful parenting and the role of gratitude as a mediating variable in a cross-sectional study. Participants include 522 Vietnamese mothers ( M age = 35.17; SD = 5.56) randomly selected through an online investigation. A 26-item Self-Compassion Scale was used to measure self-compassion, gratitude was measured by the Gratitude Questionnaire Six-Item Form, and mindful parenting was measured by the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale. The results support two main findings: (a) self-compassion has a direct influence on mindful parenting (effect = 2.48, p < .001, 95% CI [1.75, 3.22]), and (b) the mediating role of gratitude in this model was significant (effect = 0.37, 95% CI [0.10, 0.70]). The study’s results also show that increasing self-compassion and gratitude can help to improve mindful parenting.