Family Dynamics Through Childhood: A Sibling Model of Behavior Problems.

摘要

This article examines mothers’ life course changes and parent-child interactions in models of children’s behavior problems. We use an integrated framework that uses social capital theories to conceptualize parents’ investments in their children, life course perspectives to conceptualize the timing of mothers’ life course transitions, and child development research to specify the effects of parenting practices on children’s behavior problems. Our models examine the timing and duration of mothers’ poverty, single motherhood, welfare, employment, and kin coresidence through early and middle childhood. They also specify parent-child interactions as a reciprocal outcome of parenting and children’s behavior. To estimate the models, we use data on mothers and children from the NLSY.