Prediction of maternal use of friendship facilitation strategies in middle childhood

We examined child characteristics as predictors of maternal friendship facilitation strategies from third to fifth grades. Results indicated variation in initial levels of friendship facilitation and linear change over time, but no variation in trajectories of change over time. In third grade, African American mothers were less likely to enable proximity to friends and more likely to talk to their children about friendships than were European American mothers. Mothers of children with greater self-efficacy used more of both types of friendship facilitation behaviors. Mothers who perceived children as higher in externalizing were less likely to talk with children in an effort to facilitate friendships. Mothers who perceived children as having more social problems reported talking to their children more.