• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.69-89
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in maternal perceptions of mothers in regards to the conditions of happiness across the life-cycles of their children. The participants consisted of a total of 961 women who were the mothers of preschool children, school aged children, and adolescents. The mothers completed a questionnaire on the perceptions of the conditions of happiness which consisted of a total of 56 items. The results of this study revealed that mothers in their 20's and 30's, with high levels of education, and on high incomes were more likely to have high expectations regarding most of the conditions of happiness compared to mothers in their 40's and 50's, with lower levels of education, and on low incomes. In addition, the results further revealed that mothers perceived that 'children grow up well and healthy' as being the most important factor in their happiness regardless of the life cycles of their children. In particular, mothers with younger children tended to give greater priority to a close mother-child relationship in their happiness. However, when mothers' demographic variables were controlled, there were no differences in maternal perceptions of the conditions of happiness across the life-cycles of their children. The implications of parent education and the directions of following research were also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.31-45
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• 1997

The main purpose of the study was to examine relationships of child development with maternal social networks and maternal perceptions of parenting difficulty. Subjects were 90 children, ages 4 and 5, with their mothers. Child development was measured by School Readiness Test, peer nomination, and social competency ratings by teachers. Mothers responded to a questionnaire regarding social networks and parenting difficulty. The major findings of the study include: 1) Employed mothers reported receiving less emotional support and listed more in-laws and work colleagues in their social network than unemloyed mothers. 2) Mothers who perceived receiving more emotional support from networks reported less difficulty in parenting, especially in providing cognitive stimulation and daily routine care to their children. 3) Children's age and maternal perceptions of easiness in providing cognitive stimulation were the most contributing factors for predicting children's learning readiness and social competency.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.1-17
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• 2007

This study examined the current status of mothers' participation in the internet community and the relation of participation to maternal perceptions of social support and parenting efficacy. Participants were 386 mothers with young children. Half of them participated in internet communities, and the other half did not. Results showed that mothers' participation in internet communities is currently increasing in terms of quality and quantity of participation. The perceived level of social support and parenting efficacy were higher for participating mothers than for non-participating mothers. Among participating mothers, those with a higher level of participation had a higher level of perceived social support and of parenting efficacy than mothers with a lower level of participation.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.65-82
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• 1987

The purpose of the present research was to study mothers' perceptions about their children' cognitive abilities and the relations between such perceptions and the children's cognitive level. The subjects of this study were 60 children (mean age: 6 years 1 month: age range = 5;8 to 6;7) and their mothers. Each child responded to 18 tasks drawn from the Kodae-Binet IQ test. Subsequently, the mothers were asked 4 questions: an estimate of her child's success or failure on the tasks, a rating of the certainty of her judgment, an estimate of the age of mastery on each task both for her owr child and children in general. The data of the present study were analyzed with the 3-way ANOVA (sex x birth order x mother's education level), t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Significant differences were found in (1) mothers' accuracy of their children's cognitive abilities according to children's birth order, (2) mothers' accuracy, overestimation, and certainty according to the level of difficulty of each task, and (3) mothers' estimate of age at mastery according to the level of each task. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between accurate predictions by the mother and correct answers by the child and between overestimations by the mother and correct answers by the child.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.105-123
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a child's demographic variables and maternal perceptions of the conditions of happiness on their happiness for mothers. The participants of this study comprised 916 mothers of young children, school-aged children, and adolescents. The results revealed that a child's age and the numbers of children influenced maternal happiness when mothers' demographic variables were controlled. In addition, mothers who exhibited high degree of need in terms of the conditions of happiness regarding existence, relatedness, and growth were more likely to be happy than mothers who exhibited low degree of needs. Finally, the expectations regarding growth, which refers to the pursuit of self-accomplishment and meaning, was the most important predictor of maternal happiness. These findings have implications for parent education programs for mothers of young children, school-aged children, and adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.40
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• pp.5-37
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to find out some characteristics of the family functions of single mothers to provide some useful data for the development of programs which may help single mothers to improve their family functions. The McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) which is composed of problem solving function (PS), communication function (CF), role function (RC), emotional reaction function (ER), emotional involvement (EI), behavioral control function (BC), and general function (GC) and McCubbins' FSI were administered to single mothers and their adolescent children and mothers and their adolescent children of ordinary families (control family). The single mothers' perception of their family function was lower than that of control family mothers in an the 7 categories of FAD. The perceptions of the family function of the single mothers' children were lower than those of control family mothers' children. There was on significant difference between the perceptions of single mothers and their children in PS, ER, EI, GC of their family. However, single mothers' perception in RC and BC was lower than that of their children, and the children's perception in CF were lower than that of their mothers. Single mothers who fall on the period of single motherhood was shorter than 7 years perceived their families' function as lower than that of single mothers' who fall on the periods of single motherhood longer than 7 years in all categories. Generally speaking, the single mothers' family functions were lower than that of control family. The different characteristics of each single mother's family functions should be considered in developing programs for single mothers.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.585-599
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• 2020

This study investigated children's interests in learning English, affected by educational activities in and out of institutes, and mothers' perceptions regarding early childhood English education. We recruited, 253 mothers of 3- to 5-year-old children in either general kindergartens or English immersion institutes. They answered questions on socioeconomic status, perceived interest in English by their children, their perceptions regarding early childhood English education, and English education outside institutes. In addition, 42 English teachers provided information within institutes such as class time per week, teacher-pupil rate, and language use policy during class. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 22 for frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The major findings are as follows. First, the two groups were in distinct learning environment. Second, mothers' perceptions and outside-institute activities were significantly different between the two groups. Third, the English interests of children at both institutes were influenced by mothers' worries and at-home English interactions. Fourth, education within institutes did not affect both group's English interests. Fifth, private education and socioeconomic status did not affect both group's English interests. Lastly, only the children's interests in English immersion institutes were affected by gender and mother's perceived necessities. Focusing children's interests, this study helps in understanding young children's affective aspects regarding learning English. The findings are expected to be a guideline for each home and institute to increase children's interest in learning English.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.41-51
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between mothers involvement of their childrens peer interaction, their memory of childhood peer relations, and their perception of childrens social competence. Subject consisted of 302 mothers of 4- to 6-year-old children. A sample of mothers completed a series of questionnaires assessing their peer experiences, perceptions about their childrens sociability, and a behavioral checklist of their involvement activities. The results indicated that mothers own sociability and their perceptions of their childrens sociability influenced their involvement. More intense maternal involvement occurred when mothers perceived their children to be sociable. Mothers with sociable peer recollections appeared to take more active role in their childrens social development.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.107-133
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the perceptions of mothers about the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds. The subjects were 382 mothers whose 3-5-year old children went to kindergartens (192 mothers) and daycare centers (190 mothers). The findings were as follows: First, the majority of the mothers knew that the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds started to be carried out in 2012, but many of them weren't told about the details at all. Second, the mothers considered the Nuri curriculum necessary, and were roughly satisfied with the ongoing Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds. Third, there was no difference in the mothers' perceptions of environmental factors required for the Nuri curriculum. Fourth, the mothers whose children went to kindergartens chose warm and enthusiastic character as important quality of teachers. The mothers whose children went to daycare centers chose friendly and caring character as important qualities of teachers. Fifth, the mothers perceived that the Nuri curriculum was relatively useful for the qualitative improvement of early childhood education and childcare. Sixth, the majority of the mothers didn't have their children transfer to another early childhood education institution after the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds was carried out.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.651-661
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• 2008

The mother's obesity-related stress and it's association with obesity, food intake, and physical activity in both mothers and their children were determined. Based on self-reports from 470 mothers, obesity stress of mothers were scored by using a five-point Likert scale; only low and high stress scores were used in this study. The perceptions of mothers' weights and their children's weights, mothers' Body Mass Indices (BMI), and preschoolers' Weight-Length Indices (WLI)(%) were also determined. The obesity stress of mothers was significantly associated with the mothers' BMI (high stress: $23.5{\pm}2.4$ vs. low stress: $19.6{\pm}1.7$, p<0.05), but not with their children's obesity. Mothers with a high obesity stress reported a higher percentage of family history of obesity (62.1% vs. 38.3%, p<0.001) than mothers with low obesity stress. Compared to mothers with low obesity stress, mothers with high stress had lower correct-perceptions about their weights (p<0.05) but higher correct-perceptions for their children's weights. Almost 54.5% of mothers with high stress reported watching television 2 or more extra hours per day, compared with 32.2% of mothers with low stress (p<0.05). More children of mothers with high stress had long hours of daily TV viewing than children of mothers with low stress (36.0% vs. 15.3%, $X^2=10.491$, p<0.05). Mothers with high stress reported lower intake of protein-rich foods (p=0.01) and vegetables (p=0.039), but a higher intake of snacks (p=0.009), compared to mothers with low stress. More children of mothers with high stress reported eating high fat snacks or high sugar snacks everyday, but this was not statistically significant. In conclusion, high obesity stress in mothers were greatly associated with their BMI and their inactive life style, including long TV viewing hours per day and unbalanced food intakes, which can lead their children becoming inactive and obese. Special attention is recommended for overstressed mothers and their children, especially those who enjoy long hours of TV viewing.