Mindful parenting and preschoolers’ screen dependency behavior: the mediating role of parent–child relationship and the moderating role of effortful control

Background In the digital age, screens have become an indispensable part of children’s lives. The phenomenon of preschoolers excessively using screens, even developing screen dependency behavior, has emerged. Mindful parenting is increasingly considered a factor potentially associated with lower levels of children’s screen dependency behavior. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and effective interventions, especially under the influence of parent–child relationship and preschoolers’ effortful control. Methods Using a stratified cluster sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted among parents of preschool children in Shanxi and Hebei provinces of China. We collected a total of 654 valid questionnaires using a combination of offline and online approaches. Using validated instruments, we assessed mindful parenting, preschoolers’ screen dependency behavior, parent–child relationship, and preschoolers’ effortful control. We employed a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to perform data analysis. Results Mindful parenting showed a significant direct negative association with preschoolers’ screen dependency behavior ( β = −0.15, p < 0.01), and this association was partially mediated by parent–child relationship (indirect effect β = −0.03, p < 0.05). Preschoolers’ effortful control significantly negatively moderated the association between mindful parenting and parent–child relationship ( β = −0.13, p < 0.01), and positively moderated the association between mindful parenting and preschoolers’ screen dependency behavior ( β = 0.09, p < 0.01). The model accounted for 49% of the variance in parent–child relationship and 69% in screen dependency behavior. Conclusion Findings indicate the importance of integrating parental factors, parent–child relationship, and children’s characteristics in understanding screen dependency behavior in preschool children. This study not only responds to the call for adaptive parenting strategies in the digital age, but also supports the localization and contextualization of temperament-environment interaction theory and attachment theory. It provides a theoretical foundation for subsequent research on individualized parenting adaptation and offers practical suggestions for developing family intervention programs.