Effectiveness of a parental training programme in enhancing the parent-child relationship and reducing harsh parenting practices and parental stress in preparing children for their transition to primary school: a randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Entering primary school is an important childhood milestone, marking the beginning of a child's formal education. Yet the change creates a time of vulnerability for the child, the parents and the parent-child relationship. Failure to adjust to the transition may place the family in a psychologically devastating position. The aims of this study were to test the effectiveness of a parental training programme in enhancing the parent-child relationship and decreasing parental stress by reducing harsh parenting in preparing children for the transition to primary school.


METHODS
A randomised controlled trial incorporating a two-group pre-test and repeated post-test was conducted in one of the largest public housing estates in Hong Kong. A total of 142 parents were recruited, with 72 parents randomly assigned to the experimental group and 70 to the control group. Harsh parenting practices, parent-child relationships and parental stress were assessed.


RESULTS
In comparison to parents in the control group, those in the experimental group engaged in less harsh parenting practices and reported better parent-child relationships. However, parental stress scores did not differ significantly between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study addressed a gap in the literature by examining the effectiveness of the training programme for enhancing parent-child relationship and decreasing parental stress at the time of a child's transition to primary school. The findings from this study provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the parental training programme and highlight the significance of parenting in promoting a smooth transition for children from kindergarten to primary 1.


BACKGROUND
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01845948.
School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M, W, Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. william3@hku.hk.
Ho Cheung William
HC
Li
Sophia S C
SS
Chan
Yim Wah
YW
Mak
Tai Hing
TH
Lam
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D004505:Education, Nonprofessional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012574:Schools; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult