Compassionate and self-image goals in parenting: Associations with parental well-being, parenting, and child...

Pursuing compassionate goals (i.e., seeking to improve others' well-being) has generally been linked with positive emotional and relational well-being, whereas self-image goals (i.e., striving to maintain or enhance how one is perceived by others) tend to be associated with poorer well-being. However, limited research has examined these goals in the context of parenting. In this 9-day daily experience study (N = 270), we investigated whether compassionate and self-image goals in relation to children were associated with parental well-being, parenting, and child adjustment. We also tested whether empathic and negative emotions mediate these associations. Results showed that parents who pursued compassionate goals reported more optimal well-being (e.g., greater positive emotions, lower stress) and more positive parenting and child adjustment (e.g., more supportive parenting, fewer negative child behaviors) both overall and across the week, in part due to their association with greater empathic emotions and lower negative emotions. Conversely, self-image goals were largely unrelated to well-being, parenting, and child adjustment. These findings suggest that parents' efforts to support their children's well-being are associated with their own well-being, parenting, and child adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).