Parental playfulness among Chinese families: associations with young children’s behavioral, social, and emotional development

Parent–child early interaction is crucial for promoting children’s development. This study explored associations of self-reported and observed parental playfulness with young children’s social, emotional, and behavioral development. Participants included 95 three to six-year-old child (53 girls, 42 boys; Mage = 58.9 months, SD = 12 months) and parent dyads from Shenzhen, China. The study found that self-reported parental playfulness was associated with greater overall social-emotional competence, including family involvement, emotion regulation, and social confidence, as well as more prosocial behavior and fewer emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and peer problems. However, observed parental playfulness was not significantly associated with children’s behavioral or social-emotional outcomes, although a non-significant trend was observed for prosocial behavior. Mothers and fathers showed similar levels of observed and self-reported parental playfulness. These findings highlight the role of parental playfulness in promoting early social, emotional, and behavioral strengths in the Chinese cultural context.