Associations Between Fathers’ Work-to-Family Spillover and Their Ways to Track Children’s Whereabouts and Doings: A Hong Kong Study

Abstract

Utilizing a Hong Kong Chinese sample, this study examined how fathers' negative work-to-family spillover was associated with their behaviors in monitoring their children's daily doings. In total, 125 fathers with a focal child at fifth or sixth grade were invited to complete a survey. Results revealed that work spillover was negatively associated with child self-disclosure, father solicitation, and father listening and observing children, and the associations for child self-disclosure and father solicitation were mediated by father-child relations. A marginally significant positive association between work spillover and getting information from spouse was also found. The results suggest that work stress poses difficulty to fathers in directly monitoring their children and pushes them to rely on mothers as the source of knowledge. Keywords fathering, work stress, parental monitoring, parenting, Hong Kong/China Traditionally, the focus of parenting research has been on mothers. This is particularly so in the Chinese context (Shwalb, Nakazawa, Yamamoto, & Hyun, 2004) due to the cultural conception that fathers are the primary breadwinner of the family and mothers are the primary caretaker of children (Yang & Yeh, 1997). However, in recent decades, there has been a change in father's role among the younger generation in China and

The Place and Importance of Family in Education

“…It has been observed that factors such as the social structure of the family, its size, whether grandparents live together, the language used in the family, the communication between the child and the parents, and the family atmosphere are factors that affect the education of children (Gustafson, 1994: Mante et al 2021Meleen, 2019). However, working father relies on mother as a source of information about the children instead of monitoring directly their children (Wong, 2018). Some studies have shown that factors such as family socio-economic status, occupational status, education level, income negatively affect students' school attendance (Dalton et al, 2009;Deveci, 2020;De Witte et al, 2013;Koball, 2007).…”

“…One way of ensuring the trust of parents in their children is possible by ensuring the participation of the parents in the education at school. Numerous studies (Altun, 2009;Catsambis, 2001;Chenge et al, 2017;Çalık, 2007;Hunt, 2008;Mante et al, 2021;Wong, 2018) have revealed that the family's interest in education increases the motivation of teachers, that families who know the school's standards and culture better guide their children, and that school-related problems are reduced. Therefore, being in cooperation with the school can be expressed as a family feature that supports education.…”

“…In addition, finding practical areas of education in real life can have positive effects on success (Brand, 2015;Coelli, 2011;Şah Taban, 2010;Turhan, 2010). Some researchers, like Wong (2018) revealed that working fathers are not directly monitoring the children's school studies, instead they rely on the mother as a source of information. This may cause misinterpretation of child's behavior and especially at the early ages may cause communication problems between the working father and the child.…”

“…There are many other studies showing that the family environment, in which the education given and supported, has significant contributions to student success (Catsambis, 2001;Çakmak, 2010;Çelenk, 2003;Şahin, 2017;Şah Taban, 2010;Turhan, 2010;Wong, 2018). There is a need to develop an understanding that shares the responsibilities with the family and the school in contemporary societies, instead of schools which neglect the family.…”