CHILDREN whose mothers help them with their studies and communicate regularly with their teachers are more likely to do well in school examinations, a study has found.
But those whose mothers control them by making them feel guilty are more likely to fare poorly.
A separate study has backed these up with the finding that children whose parents are warm towards them and communicate well with them tend to behave better in school and achieve better results.
Dr Carol Yeo, an educational psychologist with the Ministry of Education's psychological services branch, did the first study after hearing anecdotes about hands-on mums being the apparent force behind children who achieved academic success.
Her study, completed last year, surveyed 712 children aged nine to 12 from nine primary schools on their perceptions of their mothers' role in their lives.
They were asked whether their mothers read to them or helped them with their homework. They were also asked if their mothers showed them affection by hugging them or controlled their behaviour by limiting their time in front of the television, for instance.
The study found that children whose mothers were more involved in their kids' education got higher average exam scores than those with less-involved mums.
Those whose mothers used emotional blackmail - like saying, 'Mummy has given up a lot for you' - scored lower.
Dr Yeo offered a possible explanation: 'When the child is made to feel guilty, he becomes depressed, and this could affect his concentration.'
The second study was done by the full-time school counsellor at Bukit View Primary School, Ms Esther Sze.
She surveyed almost 180 Primary 5 pupils from her school and Tao Nan School about their parents.
In her study, parents were considered warm and communicative if their children could share their feelings and problems with them, talk easily with them and receive praise often. Her study showed that the children of such parents were more likely to attend school, take part in school activities and do well in exams.
Fathers appeared to have a greater impact on their sons' behaviour, while mothers seemed to hold more sway over their daughters, the study also found.
The results of these two studies were presented at a three-day conference on child and adolescent psychiatry, hosted by the Institute of Mental Health.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Aug 30, 2008
