Influence of children on the psychological characteristics of mothers’ personalities

An analysis of parent-child relationships revealed the problem of mothers’ personal development, due to the influence of their children. Modern research mainly looks at parent-child relationships and their impact on children’s development. However, there is a lack of research in this process, the influence of children on parents and in particular the personality changes of the latter. From this follows the aim of the study: to investigate the impact of children on mothers’ personality. The sample included 30 female subjects aged between 40 and 45 years old. As research methods, a questionnaire was developed aimed at clarifying the difficulties experienced by mothers in the process of raising children, as well as the Catell 16 PF questionnaire (Form C). The results showed that the process of growing up of a child determines the personal changes of a mother, as it is associated with different levels of overcoming her difficulties. Mothers whose parenting was (according to self-reports) calm, formed personal qualities that facilitated the process of child rearing; those whose motherhood was associated with anxious circumstances had negative emotional experiences in the process of child rearing, which entailed corresponding changes in the personal sphere. The obtained results of the study can be productively used in the process of raising children in the family, as well as in the educational system.