Introduction: Parenting dynamics and maternal psychological resources are critical to child development, yet the mechanisms through which these factors impact child behavior require further clarification. This study investigated the mediating role of maternal emotional exhaustion in the association between parenting conflict, emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, and child behavioral problems.
Method: A descriptive-correlational design was employed. Using random cluster sampling method, a sample of 204 mothers of school-aged children in Ardestan (2025–2026 academic year) was selected. Data were collected using standard psychological questionnaires assessing the study variables and analyzed via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
Results: The structural model showed excellent fit. Parenting conflict, emotion regulation, and cognitive flexibility were significantly associated with maternal emotional exhaustion. Parenting conflict, cognitive flexibility, and emotional exhaustion directly predicted child behavioral problems, while the direct effect of emotion regulation was non-significant. Maternal emotional exhaustion significantly mediated all relationships between the independent variables and child behavioral problems.
Conclusion: Reducing parenting conflict and enhancing maternal cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation can alleviate emotional exhaustion and, in turn, mitigate child behavioral problems. Interventions targeting maternal emotional health are strongly recommended.