Investigation of the Effects of Horticultural Activity Program for Mothers to Improve Relationship with Child

This study was conducted to find the effectiveness of a horticultural activity program for mothers to improve the relationship between mother and child. The target participants were comprised of 60 mothers who have a child aged between 4 to 7 years, and they were divided into the experimental group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). Those of the experimental group attended 6 sessions of the horticultural activity program in total (one session per week, 90 minutes on average), and those of the control group did not participate in the program. A survey on parenting stress, self-esteem, parenting efficacy and emotional empathy was conducted before and after the program. Its results indicated that the participants of the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in the parenting stress level (associated with the characters of children, the relationship with them, and learning expectation). Their self-esteem also showed statistically significant improvements from perspectives of self-abasement, relationships with others, leadership and popularity, and assertiveness and anxiety. Their parenting efficacy including efficacy as a parent; anxiety and frustration as a parent; and interest and attention to parental roles showed statistically significant improvements, but there was no statistically significant difference in emotional empathy including emotional sympathy and empathic concern. In addition, the results of the satisfaction survey conducted among the mothers of the experimental group after the program indicated that their satisfaction of the overall program, the time required for a session, and the frequency of the program was high. In this study, it was found that positive changes could be realized through the horticultural activity program for the improvement of the relationship between mother and child by modifying relevant factors. It is expected that the participants of the study may experience more positive improvements if they can join horticultural activities with their child later, and it is necessary to develop programs that can engage parents in other environments based on the results of this study.