Children’s parent and teacher relationships contribute to school adjustment and achievement, yet few studies have examined interactions between these relationships, particularly for father-child relationships. Using the Growing Up in Ireland birth cohort (N = 7,507 children, 50.3% male), we examined child-adult relationship quality – rated by mothers and fathers at age 3 and teachers at age 5 – as predictors of behavioural adjustment (rated by teachers) and academic achievement (formal reading assessments and self-reported academic self-concepts) at age 9. Controlling for prior levels of problem behaviours, verbal ability, and family SES, results indicated small and comparable independent effects of children’s parent and teacher relationships on school adjustment and achievement. For mothers and teachers, moderation analyses showed a cumulative risk pattern for conflictual relationships and a compensatory pattern for close relationships. Children are likely to benefit from improving closeness and reducing conflict in adult-child relationships and interventions that involve mothers, fathers, and teachers.
