Linkages Between Negative Work-to-Family Spillover and Mothers’ and Fathers’ Knowledge of Their Young Adolescents’ Daily Lives

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of negative work-to-family spillover and their knowledge of their preadolescent children’s (mean age = 11.8 years) daily lives in a sample of dual-earner families. Three constructs are tested as potential mediators of the association between spillover and parental knowledge: marital love, parent-child involvement in joint activities, and parent-child acceptance. Evidence supporting mediation emerges for fathers: negative work-to-family spillover predicts paternal knowledge of children’s daily activities indirectly via both (a) father-child acceptance and (b) fathers’ involvement in joint activities with their children. No evidence in support of mediation is found for mothers.