Comparison of Mindfulness Parenting and Brain-Centered Parenting on Executive Function of Elementary School Children in Shiraz: A Comparative Experimental Study

Abstract

Objective: The parenting style and upbringing of mothers and its effect on the psychological performance of their children have always been of interest. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness parenting training and brain-centered parenting on the executive function of elementary school children in Shiraz.

Research Method: The research design was experimental and quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and 60-day follow-up design with a control group. It was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness parenting training and brain-centered parenting on executive function and rule-taking in elementary school children. The statistical population included all children aged 6 to 10 years old studying in primary school and their mothers in the academic year 2025-2026. The sample for this stage of the research was selected by accessible method from among children aged 8 to 10 years old and their mothers. To conduct the sampling, after obtaining permission from the university and making the necessary arrangements with counseling centers, 60 mothers and their children were selected from among these mothers according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly divided into two experimental groups and a control group (20 people in each group). The first experimental group received training in mindfulness parenting, the second group received training in brain-centered parenting, and the third group received no training. Research instruments included the Executive Functions Questionnaire, Brief Form for Parents, developed by Gioia et al. (2002)  . The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc test, using SPSS-26 software).

Findings: The results of statistical analyses showed that both methods were equally effective in improving the dependent variables.

Conclusion: According to the analysis of the findings of the present study, effective parenting methods in mothers of elementary school children can help improve their cognitive and emotional performance, and in this regard, mindfulness parenting training and brain-centered parenting were the same in terms of effectiveness on the aforementioned variables.