Chinese preschoolers’ daily routine and its associations with parent-child relationships and child self-regulation

Popular parenting literature has often emphasized the importance of establishing predictable routines during early childhood. Using a sample of 688 Chinese preschool-aged children, the current study examined how child routines were related to parent-child relationships and self-regulation. This study first examined the psychometric properties of the Child Routines Questionnaire-Preschool among Chinese preschoolers. The instrument demonstrated sound reliability and validity. Furthermore, the findings showed that routines in children’s daily living, activities, and discipline were all positively related to parent-child closeness and negatively related to parent-child conflict, even after controlling for parenting styles. In addition, child routines were also associated with teacher-reported self-control and behavioral concerns. The current study provided initial evidence on the role of routines in promoting parent-child relationships and self-regulation among a Chinese sample of preschool-aged children.