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Teachers’ tolerance toward children’s social behaviors is, in part, guided by teachers’ cognitions and emotions. Few studies have examined the associations between teachers’ cognitions, emotions, and tolerance toward children’s social behaviors. This study aimed to (1) describe the cognitions, emotions, and tolerance of Portuguese preschool teachers toward children’s shy, physically and relationally aggressive, rough-and-tumble play, exuberant, and unsociable behaviors at preschool, depending on children’s sex; and (2) examine the direct and indirect associations (via teachers’ emotions) between teachers’ cognitions and tolerance toward children’s social behaviors, depending on children’s sex. One hundred and seven preschool teachers completed the Child Behaviors Vignettes. Preschool teachers displayed more negative views toward children’s physical and relational aggression, reported positive perspectives toward children’s rough play and mixed attitudes toward children’s exuberance, and differentiated shy from unsociable behaviors. Direct associations between teachers’ cognitions and tolerance were found only for physical aggression. Teachers’ anticipation of negative peer costs and academic performance appear to exert an indirect influence on teachers’ tolerance toward physical aggression and unsociability, via increased levels of worry. These findings highlight the role of teachers’ emotions for tolerance toward children’s social behaviors and the need to enhance their self-awareness.

Recent findings have demonstrated an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Portugal, urging the need to study modifiable risk factors such as parental feeding practices. The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) is an important self-report measure assessing a broad range of responsive and non-responsive feeding practices. However, the CFPQ has not yet been validated in Portugal. Therefore, the present study aimed to test the validity of this measure with Portuguese parents of 2-to-8-year-old children. A sample of 409 parents completed a Portuguese-adapted version of the CFPQ and the already validated Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and psychometric analysis were conducted. CFA demonstrated the original 12-factor structure did not fit the sample. EFA identified an eight-factor structure comprising 29 items: Monitoring, Modeling, Environment, Involvement, Emotion Regulation, Restriction for Weight Control, Restriction for Health, and Pressure. Findings suggest that parental feeding practices are sensitive to parents’ background cultures and children’s developmental period.

The balance between work and family demands is one of the main challenges of contemporary parenting. However, most of the research has focused on mothers’ perspectives, with fathers’ perspectives about the links between work–family activities and father involvement, as well as the role of indirect effects, such as parenting styles, being less explored. This study aims to bridge these gaps by exploring whether work strains or gains are related to father involvement in childcare and the mediating role of parental styles, focusing on fathers’ reports. Working, married fathers of preschoolers (n = 411) self-reported about work strains and gains, parental styles, and father involvement. Structural equation modeling, using maximum-likelihood estimation, provided good fit indices. Results of the bootstrap analysis revealed how fathers’ gains indirectly increased involvement both in direct and indirect care through positive parental styles. Otherwise, fathers’ strains at work had a negative indirect effect on direct care through negative parental styles. Findings contribute to work–family interface by showing how parental styles account for mediating environmental challenges on father involvement.

Learning to eat complementary foods is a crucial milestone for infants, having implications across development. The most used method for introducing complementary foods is Traditional Spoon-Feeding (TSF). However, the alternative method Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is increasingly becoming used as it has been associated with positive outcomes. Research analyzing associations between complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting is practically non-existent. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze differences in emotional and feeding responsiveness between caregivers who previously implemented traditional vs. non-traditional feeding approaches. Caregivers (mostly mothers) of 179 children between 3 and 5 years were asked about the complementary feeding method that they had followed previously (70.4% reported using the TSF, 16.8% said they used the BLW and 12.8% used both methods simultaneously). In addition, they reported on their feeding practices using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire and on their responses to children’s distress using the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale. The results showed that parents who reported using a non-traditional (BLW or both) complementary feeding method reported less pressure to eat and minimization of reactions to children’s negative emotions, compared to parents who used a traditional method (although these reported using more problem-focused reactions). The findings suggest that complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting may be linked, leaving the question of which one sets the stage for the other.

Previous research identified emotion dysregulation, non-responsive feeding practices, and unhealthy food consumption as risk factors for childhood obesity. However, little is known about the relationships between these factors. This study examined associations between children’s emotion regulation, parental feeding practices, and children’s food consumption. The sample consisted of 163 mothers of children aged 3–5 years. Mothers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist, the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Child Health Section from the Parent Interview of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-B to assess model variables. Results showed that healthy food consumption was associated with higher emotion regulation abilities, higher monitoring, and lower pressure to eat. For unhealthy food consumption, the associations were in opposite directions. Higher emotion regulation abilities were also associated with higher monitoring, lower pressure to eat, and lower restriction. For lability, the associations were in opposite directions. Regression analyses revealed that children’s lability, pressure to eat, and monitoring were significant predictors of children’s food consumption. These findings suggest that children’s emotion regulation and feeding practices are important determinants of children’s food consumption. Future longitudinal studies that examine bidirectional associations between children’s emotion regulation, parental feeding practices, children’s food consumption, and potential mechanisms accounting for these associations are needed.

There is a lack of knowledge regarding the connection between parental emotional responsiveness and children’s executive functioning (EF). This study aimed to explore the relations between caregivers’ reactions to their children’s distress and children’s EF. Mothers of 136 preschoolers reported their reactions to their children’s negative emotions using the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale. Children’s EF was assessed through the mothers and teachers’ reports using the Behavioral Inventory of Executive Functioning for Preschool Children. Results showed that the mothers’ perceived use of negative emotional regulation responses (i.e., punitive and minimizing reactions) was associated with lower levels of EF in children, as reported by both mothers and teachers. The association between the mothers’ use of positive emotional regulation responses (i.e., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and expressive encouragement reactions) and children’s EF was not significant. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the mothers’ use of negative emotional regulation responses accounted for significant proportions of variance in EF indexes. These findings suggest that parental socialization of emotion could be important for children’s EF. Specifically, caregivers’ negative emotional regulation responses to children’s distress may serve as a risk factor for poorer EF in children. Efforts to improve children’s EF may be more effective when parental emotional responsiveness to their distress is considered.

(1) Background: One key assumption of attachment theory is the relationship between security and the development of prosocial behavior. A secure child is more likely to feel and show concern for another individual, resulting in higher levels of prosocial behaviors (defined as voluntary behavior intended to benefit others—e.g., helping, sharing, comforting). (2) Method: Using a systematic review of the literature (PROSPERO: CRD42022290706), 703 articles were identified (EBSCO databases), from which 16 were considered eligible by the first two authors (inter-reviewer agreement: 85.714%). The criteria for an article’s exclusion were as follows: samples of children/teens not living in natural contexts; studies on psychopathologies; intervention programs; qualitative designs; studies on development or the validation of measures; studies that did not reliably measure the variables studied. (3) Results and Discussion: The eligible studies revealed incongruous results about the potential associations between attachment security to mothers and fathers and prosocial behavior. More consistent and significant relationships were found between the quality of attachment and empathy, while the associations between attachment and prosocial behavior were inconsistent (e.g., nine articles revealed significant associations; seven did not). In six studies, empathy was revealed to play an important role as the mediator between attachment security and prosocial behavior. The limitations and future recommendations were discussed.

Sleep is a biological process that impacts nearly every domain of a child’s life. Sleep-wake regulation influences and it is highly influenced by developmental variables related to parent-child relationships, such as attachment. The main goal of the present systematic review is to analyze and integrate the findings of empirical studies investigating the relations between attachment and sleep in preschool age, a period marked by important developmental changes that challenge both attachment system and sleep-wake regulation. A database search was performed using a combination of relevant keywords, leading to the identification of 524 articles, with 19 manuscripts assessed for eligibility; finally, seven studies (2344 children) were included. Overall, the findings were not consistent, with some studies reporting significant associations between attachment security and sleep quality, as well as between attachment insecurity and sleep problems, whereas others did not find significant associations. The results are discussed in light of the available theoretical models and integrated in the context of measurement approaches to attachment and sleep heterogeneity, aiming to guide future research on the topic.

In recent years, the development of social and moral emotions (often associated to pro-social behaviors) has become the subject of increased research interest. However, the relation between these emotions and attachment is less studied. The present systematic literature review (PROSPERO: CRD42021247210) was designed to synthesize current empirical contributions that explore the link between attachment and the development of moral emotions (e.g., empathy, sympathy, altruism, and guilt) during childhood and adolescence. Article exclusion criteria included: studies with participants not living in natural contexts (e.g., institutionalized); studies on mental illness; qualitative research; research that does not reliably evaluate attachment or moral emotions; research on intervention programs; and non-peer-reviewed articles. Only 10 studies were found eligible. Results highlight a present focus on empathy and guilt and gaps regarding sympathy and altruism. The mediator role and positive effect of emotion regulation was noted. Significant positive correlations between attachment security and guilt, shame and forgiveness were emphasized. Limitations of the eligible studies included: representativeness of the participants; causality of the results; and the validity and significance of the instruments (e.g., lack of results reported by various parties involved). The present review aims to contribute to the understanding of an empathic, healthy development, in contrast to the alienation and bullying affecting the youth’s emotional, relational and academic lives.

Increasing evidence suggests that attachment plays an important role in obesity. However, few studies examined this relationship in preschool children. This study aimed to systematically examine the empirical, peer-reviewed evidence regarding the relationship between attachment quality and obesity in the preschool years. Using established guidelines, relevant peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and July 2021 was searched through EBSCO. This yielded a total of 1124 records for review. Established inclusion criteria comprised: empirical studies published in peer-review journals; include at least one anthropometric measure and/or food consumption measure. Exclusion criteria comprised: attachment measures not following Bowlby-Ainsworth conceptualization of the construct; children in institutionalized settings; context of severe mental illness, documented substance use disorders, or eating disorders; include only a measure of the psychological aspects of eating; intervention programs. After exclusions, eight studies with a total of 9225 participants met the inclusion criteria. Results support the role of attachment in weight-related outcomes, suggesting that considering attachment in the risk of obesity could contribute to the elaboration of effective prevention and intervention programs. Limitations included the small number of studies, predominately cross-sectional designs, the diversity of methodologies, most samples not including fathers, and lack of evidence about the developmental mechanisms underlying the association between attachment and obesity. More evidence is needed to determine how attachment and obesity are linked, and the potential underlying mechanisms accounting for this relationship.

Children’s self-imposed isolation in the company of others (social withdrawal due to shyness or unsociability) and active isolation due to direct aggressive behaviors can challenge successful engagement in the peer group. The developmental attributional perspective acknowledges that children’s intended affiliative responses are, in part, guided by their emotions and beliefs toward peers’ social behaviors and may differ depending on children’s sex, age group, and social behavior. This study aimed to (1) describe preschoolers’ beliefs, emotions, and intended affiliative preferences toward aggressive, shy, and unsociable peers, depending on children’s sex and age group, and (2) explore the associations between preschoolers’ beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences, depending on children’s social behaviors and children’s sex or age group. A total of 158 preschoolers aged 3–6 years were interviewed, using the Child Attributions Interview to assess their beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences toward peers. Teachers completed the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale to assess children’s prosocial behaviors, aggressive-anger, and anxious-withdrawal. Preschoolers’ perspectives toward shy and unsociable peers were less negative than toward aggressive peers. However, participants in our sample were not fully aware of the different intentionality and social motivations of shy and unsociable peers. Higher levels of perceived social standing, social motivation and sympathy predicted higher affiliative preferences toward shy, unsociable, and aggressive peers. However, the magnitude of the associations between preschoolers’ beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences differed, depending on children’s sex, age group and prosocial behavior, especially toward aggressive and shy peer behaviors. These findings are in line with the developmental attributional perspective, but highlight the need to account for developmental specificities, sex differences in peer relationships and children’s individual differences in social behaviors.

Although there is a large body of research connecting emotion to eating behaviors, little is known about the role of caregivers’ responses to children’s emotions in the context of child feeding. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation between caregivers’ emotional responsiveness and feeding responsiveness. The mothers of 137 children between 2 and 6 years of age reported on their responses to children’s negative emotions using the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale and on their feeding practices using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. The results showed that mothers’ supportive emotion responses (e.g., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and expressive encouragement reactions) tend to be positively associated with responsive feeding practices (e.g., encouraging, modelling, and teaching healthy food-related behaviors). Instead, mothers’ unsupportive responses (e.g., distress, punitive and minimization reactions) tend to be positively associated with nonresponsive feeding practices (e.g., food as reward or to regulate emotions, and pressure to eat) and negatively associated with responsive feeding practices. Our results suggest that emotional and feeding responsiveness may be intertwined and that differences in parent’s emotional responsiveness may translate into differences in their feeding styles, setting the stage for parents’ use of positive vs. negative feeding practices.