Peculiarities of parental attitudes of young mothers with various parental experience

The concepts of  motherhood and parenthood are considered from the  point of  view of  parental functions. A  study was conducted of  the  parental attitudes of  young mothers aged 20 to  35 y.o., who have the  only child or  a  second child not older than 3. Among the 60 participants surveyed: 30 young mothers with one child and 30 mothers with parenting experience. The results of the study showed that the experience of parenting affects the attitude to family roles and to the child. The  analysis of  the  results of  the  study of  parental attitudes made it  possible to record a significant number of significant differences (“attitude to family roles” – t = 2.46; р = 0.003; “restriction to  the  role of  a  housewife”  – t = 4.07; р = 0.04; “sacrifice of  parents”  – t = 3.81; р = 0.05; “emotional distance with the  child”  – t = 3.66; р = 0.03; “excessive concentration on  the  child”  – t = 4.58; р = 0.05; “contact” – t = 2.62; р = 0.005; “cognitive needs” – t = 3.97; р = 0.001; “creativity” – t = 3.51; р = 0.0001). Young mothers with one child limit their interests to the family, which creates a sense of sacrifice and provokes family conflicts; with a child, such a mother is emotionally close and encourages their activity. Experienced mothers do not limit their interests to  family boundaries, while being satisfied with family relationships, the attitude towards the child is more authoritarian, such mothers are not emotionally close to the child and are strict. That is, the experience of parenting has a mixed effect on parental attitudes. In the group of young mothers with one child, it is necessary to get rid of the feeling of self-sacrifice in the family, increase self-esteem, and also reduce excessive care for the  child. In  a  group of  young mothers with parenting experience, it  is  necessary to  reduce the  authoritarian influence on the child, irritability and severity.