Mothers' and fathers' mind-mindedness in infancy and toddlerhood predict their children's self-regulation at preschool age

Dev Psychol. 2022 Nov;58(11):2127-2139. doi: 10.1037/dev0001428. Epub 2022 Sep 1.

Abstract

The ability to regulate one's emotions and behaviors is essential for adaptive functioning in society. We investigated whether parental mind-mindedness-parents' tendency to treat their children as mental agents-in infancy and toddlerhood predicts school-age children's self-regulation. The sample consisted of 125 mostly Dutch and White families. We assessed mothers' and fathers' appropriate and nonattuned mind-related comments during free play with their 12- and 30-month-old child (70 girls and 55 boys). We measured children's physiological, temperamental, and behavioral self-regulation when children were 4 1/2 years old. Fathers' appropriate mind-related comments predicted children's higher temperamental and behavioral self-regulation and mothers' and fathers' nonattuned mind-related comments predicted children's lower physiological and temperamental self-regulation. Our findings emphasize the importance of both parents' mind-mindedness in children's socioemotional development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emotions / physiology
  • Fathers* / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Mothers / psychology
  • Self-Control*