Parental Mind‐Mindedness and Child Executive Functions During Toddlerhood: A Biparental and Longitudinal Study

Executive functions (EF) are crucial for children's optimal functioning in several spheres. Therefore, understanding the factors involved in their early development is of paramount importance. The present longitudinal study aimed to obtain deeper insight into the role of fathers' and mothers' mind-mindedness in toddlers' EF. The sample included 131 families visited at home when children were aged around 6 (T1) and 19 (T2) months. At T1, both parents' mind-mindedness was rated, based on a 10-min parent-infant free play period, using a widely recognized and validated coding system capturing the number of appropriate and non-attuned comments on the child's mental states (emotions, thoughts, needs, and desires). At T2, child EF were measured with three behavioral tasks targeting inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Regressions revealed that mothers' non-attuned comments were negatively and prospectively associated with all components of toddlers' EF, whereas mothers' appropriate comments were positively and prospectively associated with cognitive flexibility. Fathers' mind-mindedness was not associated with any EF components. The findings highlight the importance of maternal mind-mindedness in infancy for child EF during toddlerhood. This study provides novel insights into how maternal appropriate and non-attuned comments on children's mental states are distinctly related to child EF early in life.