The Pyramid Effect: Reframing Parental Perceptions and Strategies for Children’s Social and Emotional Development1

This research project delves into the transformative effects of parent training in the Pyramid Model on parental attitudes and strategies in nurturing children’s social-emotional competencies. The study aimed to investigate potential changes in parents’ perspectives towards child development and parenting practices that foster children’s social-emotional growth. Interviews were conducted with 41 parents from four different kindergartens, before and after the implementation of the Pyramid Model parent training. The results reveal a noteworthy shift in parental perspectives regarding child development, characterized by an increased emotional awarenessand an increase in their use of strategies to support children to effectively manage their emotions. However, the research also showed that post-training, parents still used shouting and bribing as parenting strategies and did not understand how to support young children’s problem-solving. The results underscore the need for targeted parent training and ongoing support to better align parental perspectives with their children’s social emotional needs. The findings emphasized the potential utility of Pyramid Model parent training to support parents to foster optimal social and emotional development in young children.