Family life and child competencies: a preliminary study of children’s representations of their families

Family routine practice and rituals involve multiple family members, are embedded in the cultural and ecological context of family life and are part of the family's identity (Fiese, 2006). During the childrearing years, creating and maintaining family routines and rituals is a central part of family life (Bennett, Wolin, & McAvity, 1988) and hold promise for systematic interventions for children at risk for developmental and socio-emotional problems (Spagnola, Fiese, 2007). The aim of this study was examine the association between family rules and routines and children's teacher-rated behavioural competencies. The second purpose was an exploratory analysis of representations about family relationships and family roles from children’s point of view. Participants were 30 children, age 4 and 5 years old, with their respective two-parent. Children were asked to do a drawing of a family (Corman, 1970); mothers and fathers completed the Family Ritual Questionnaire (Fiese & Kline, 1993) and Family Routine Inventory (Jensen, James, Boyce & Hartnett, 1983); teachers completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). The results might indicate a relationship between family climate and child competencies and underline the importance of family drawings as useful research and clinical tool.