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

Sensitive parenting early in life supports healthy development and depends on the parent's compassion and physiological regulation. Loving-kindness meditations (LKM) increase compassion and reduce stress responses, potentially aiding sensitive parenting. In this study, 136 parents of toddlers were randomly assigned to listen to a LKM, focused-imagery audio, or podcast before a play-based interaction. LKM did not significantly increase parent sensitivity, though sensitivity varied little in the sample. However, LKM affected salivary alpha amylase activity: parents in the LKM group gradually decreased sympathetic activity across the session, while the podcast group showed increased levels after the interaction. Engaging in compassion and self-compassion can change stress physiology in parents of toddlers.

Study at a glance

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.