Mothers' Reactions to Children's Negative Emotions: Impact of Children's Gender

Parental emotion socialization is critical in shaping children’s emotional regulation and social competence. This study examines gender differences in mothers' reactions to their children's negative emotions within the cultural context of Kerala, India, where limited research has explored this phenomenon. The study utilized the Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) to assess six types of maternal reactions among 200 mothers (100 each with boys and girls aged 6-8 years). Independent samples t-tests revealed significant gender differences in punitive, distress, and minimization reactions, with boys receiving more punitive and minimizing responses compared to girls. Mothers also exhibited greater expressive encouragement towards boys. However, no gender differences were observed in problem-focused or emotion-focused reactions, suggesting consistency in these strategies across genders. These findings underscore the influence of cultural and societal expectations on maternal emotional socialization practices, potentially reinforcing traditional gender roles. The study highlights the need for gender-sensitive parenting interventions to promote supportive and equitable responses to children's emotions. Implications for parenting education, culturally sensitive interventions, and future research are discussed, emphasizing the importance of addressing gender biases to foster healthy emotional development in children.