Regulation of Stress Physiology While Parenting: a Randomized Micro-trial of Loving-Kindness Meditation on Parenting and Salivary Alpha Amylase.

Abstract

Sensitive parenting early in life sets children up for healthy development, and this type of parenting draws on the parent's compassion and physiological regulation. Loving-kindness meditations (LKM) increase compassion and reduce physiological responses to stressors and so may support sensitive parenting. The current study tested the effects of a LKM on parent sensitivity and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) during a parent-child interaction. One hundred and thirty-six parents (114 mothers, 22 fathers) of toddlers (18-36 months, M = 28.85 months, SD = 5.13) participated in an online survey and were randomly assigned to listen to either a LKM, focused-imagery audio, or podcast during a video call before engaging in a play-based interaction with their toddler. Parent sAA was collected from parents at five points throughout the video call. LKM did not significantly increase parent sensitivity (B = 0.06, p = 0.86); however, there was limited variability in sensitivity in this sample (M = 6.01, SD = 0.89). The LKM did affect sAA activity (B =  - 0.66, p < 0.05) such that parents in the LKM group gradually decreased sympathetic activity across the research session, whereas the podcast group increased sAA levels after the parent-child interaction. Overall, these findings suggest that engaging in compassion and self-compassion can change the pattern of stress physiology in parents of toddlers while parenting.