Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions of Quality and Trust in their Relationships with Mothers and Fathers: Associations with Children’s Self-Perception and Behaviors

Teachers’ relationships with parents are crucial for kindergarten children’s adjustment and school readiness. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of the quality and trust of their relationships with mothers and fathers, and how these perceptions relate to children’s developmental outcomes. Participants were recruited from northern Israel and included 65 kindergarten teachers and 231 children (aged 53–82 months). Teachers reported on their relationships with both parents and children’s approaches to learning and social behaviors, while children’s self-perception was directly assessed through interviews. Results revealed that teachers reported higher quality and greater trust in their relationships with mothers than with fathers. Teachers perceived relationship quality with mothers was associated with fewer internalizing and more prosocial behaviors, whereas perceived trust in relationships with fathers was associated with fewer externalizing and more prosocial behaviors. Only teachers’ perceptions of quality and trust in relationships with mothers were correlated with children’s self-perception. Moderation analyses revealed that teacher-mother relationships were more strongly related to approaches to learning in children with higher self-perception, while relationships with both parents were more strongly associated with prosocial behaviors in children with lower self-perceptions. The results underscore that teachers’ relationships with both mothers and fathers collectively provide more comprehensive support for children’s development.