Determinants of Parenting in Everyday Life: A Systematic Review of Daily Diary and Ecological Momentary Assessment Studies

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Belsky’s process model (1984) has served as a classic theory for understanding determinants of parenting. However, its focus on between-family differences overlooks the dynamic nature of determinants and parenting within families in everyday life, leaving how everyday parenting is determined unclear. This review addressed this critical research gap by systematically synthesizing evidence from daily diary and ecological momentary assessment studies. Forty-six eligible studies were included, focusing primarily on adolescence (46.81%) and middle and late childhood (34.04%), with fewer on early childhood (12.77%) or mixed stages (6.38%). Results reveal substantial within-family variance in determinants and parenting, demonstrating that they fluctuate meaningfully from day to day and moment to moment. Daily or momentary parenting was multiply determined by determinants across three broad domains: child characteristics, parent characteristics and contextual sources of stress and support. Within-family associations between parent characteristics (e.g., affect and mood) and parenting were identified across developmental periods, whereas studies on child characteristics and contextual sources of stress and support did not span all developmental periods. Both between- and within-family moderators were summarized, though the limited moderation findings did not allow firm conclusions about variability across families and contexts. Parent and youth affect and parenting-related cognitions or feelings emerged as within-family mediators linking daily or momentary determinants to parenting. This systematic review extends Belsky’s process model by advancing the understanding of determinants of parenting in everyday life. Findings also inform practices to support parents and enhance their everyday parenting.