Different strategies, different outcomes: Emotion regulation and discipline in parents of young children

Parents’ ability to regulate their emotions during challenging discipline situations is important for effective parenting, yet little is known about how specific emotion regulation (ER) strategies influence discipline behaviors. We examined this association using parent-report measures, focusing on the roles of worry and anger, in a cross-sectional sample of 197 parents (72% female) of children ages 2–5 years. Structural equation model analyses showed that cognitive reappraisal was indirectly associated with greater overreactive discipline through increased parent anger, although it was not directly linked to discipline outcomes. Suppression was associated with lower levels of overreactive discipline but showed no significant indirect effects. In contrast, rumination was linked to greater overreactivity through anger and to greater laxness through worry; it also showed an unexpected negative indirect effect on overreactivity through worry. Escape was associated with both forms of discipline and showed indirect effects on overreactivity via anger and on laxness via worry. Finally, capitulation was strongly associated with lax discipline but showed no significant indirect effects through parent emotion. These findings highlight the distinct cognitive-affective pathways linking ER strategies, parental emotional responses, and discipline practices. This understanding may help guide targeted interventions that support parents in managing their emotions during challenging disciplinary situations.