Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Predicting emotional and social competence during early childhood from toddler risk and maternal behavior.
Journal Name
Development and Psychopathology
Journal Volume
22
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
119-132
DOI
10.1017/S0954579409990307
Summary
Observational and survey data were used to explore the interactions between maternal parenting behavior and toddler risk (i.e., externalizing behaviors such as aggression and destructive behavior and poor emotion regulation) as predictors of individual differences in children's emotional and social competence during the transition to kindergarten. Results indicate that both child factors and maternal parenting behaviors influenced toddlers risk for emotional and social issues.
Key Findings
Interactions between maternal behaviors and child characteristics were not associated with child social competence, but were associated with child emotional competence suggesting multiple developmental pathways by which toddler characteristics and maternal parenting practices influence later child emotional and social competence.
Higher levels of toddler risk behaviors (i.e., externalizing behaviors like anger and aggression, poor emotion regulation) were associated with poorer social and emotional competence and lower peer acceptance, greater negativity, and more problem behavior in kindergarten.
Maternal control was positively associated with greater negativity for high-risk toddlers but lower levels of negativity with low risk toddlers.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with organizations connected with military parents to emphasize the importance of maternal behavior and military children's and social well-being
Facilitate support groups for military parents struggling with parenting issues and provide information regarding age appropriate ways to support a child's social and emotional development.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide early intervention for military children identified as at risk
Disseminate information regarding the resources and services available to military parents
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage pediatricians working with military families and children to routinely screen for psychological/emotional as well as physical issues
Continue to support parenting programs for military families
Methods
Data were collected as part of a longitudinal study of children identified as at risk for externalizing behavioral issues.
Participants were recruited through daycare centers; the health department; and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs.
Children were considered at risk if they had a score of 60 or above on the Child Behavior Checklist for externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression).
Participants
Two hundred fifty-three children (116 males, 137 female) and their mothers were included in the study.
Of the participants, 66% were White, 28% were Black, 4% were biracial, and 2% were Latino/Latina.
Children were on average 31 months old at the 2nd year assessment, 68 months old at the 5th year assessment, and 70 months old at the kindergarten assessment.
Limitations
Children were only observed interacting with one caregiver but interactions with other caregivers may also play a role in the development of emotional and social competence, limiting the results.
Only children who were at risk for externalizing behaviors and maladaptive emotion regulation were included; therefore, results are not generalizable to children not considered at risk.
Maternal behavior was assessed globally and not in relation to a specific child behavior which could limit the results.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore the impact of sibling relationships on social and emotional development of children
Examine whether maternal parenting practices mediates the association between children's risk and later social development
Investigate how paternal parenting practices influence child emotional and social competence
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
The longitudinal associations between maternal parenting behavior and toddler risk with children's emotional and social competence were examined during the transition to kindergarten, in a sample of 253 children. Toddler risk was characterized by early externalizing behavior and poor emotion regulation skills. Given that we were interested in the multiple pathways that may result in emotional and social competence, we examined the interactions among maternal parenting behavior and toddler risk. There were some significant interactions, although the pattern of results was not consistent across all competence outcomes. Maternal parenting behavior was not directly associated with children's emotional and social competence. In some instances, maternal control has differential implications for children's emotional and social competence dependent upon the child's level of early risk and maternal positive parenting. Specifically, maternal control tended to be more detrimental for children's emotional competence during the transition to kindergarten, when children exhibit higher levels of risk. Overall, it appears that there are multiple developmental pathways, depending on child and maternal characteristics that lead to early emotional and social competence.
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