How parents influence the social and emotional development of the children?

Social and emotional functioning (interpersonal interactions, social adjustment, emotional well-being, and mental health) among children and adolescents has drawn growing attention from academics, practitioners, parents, educators, and policymakers. Worldwide, it is agreed that social and emotional development is a result of individual-context interactions. Particularly, socialization perspectives regard parenting as the primary factor that shapes child and adolescent development to a large extent. Meanwhile, the ecological perspective highlights the bi-directional nature of interactions between children and parents by which they affect each other. Parenting can be parents’ active socialization actions that influence their children’s development (i.e., parent effect); it can also be parents’ reactions to their children’s social and emotional functioning (i.e., child effect). Despite a large number of local, national, or international empirical studies in this field, some questions are still open for discussion, such as parenting in different contexts (e.g., disadvantaged situations or different cultures), the interplay between parenting and other factors in family dynamics (e.g., sibling relationship) or other socialization forces (e.g., schooling) as well as the under-researched child effect on parenting.

This Research Topic aims to allow researchers in different fields (e.g., education, psychology, or social work) to exchange both theoretical discussions and empirical practices regarding the relationship between parenting and the child’s social and emotional development, which can enrich theoretical literature in the field and offer insights for the design of effective intervention programs in different contexts to promote child social and emotional functioning.

Specifically, the Research Topic concentrates on four research questions:

1) What are the parent effect and child effect regarding parenting and child and adolescent social and emotional functioning in different cultures, especially among under-researched populations (e.g., poor families or single-parent families)?
2) What are the theories and underlying processes (mediators or moderators) involved in the above-mentioned parent effect and/or child effect?
3) What is the potential interplay between parenting and other factors, such as teacher, peer, and sibling influences?
4) What is the role of parenting training in evidence-based practices aiming to improve social and emotional functioning among children and adolescents?

We welcome quantitative studies (e.g., cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, cohort studies, interventions, and experimental studies), qualitative studies (e.g., interview studies, observational studies, content analyses, and case studies), mix-method studies, and review studies.

Keywords: parenting, parent-child relationship, family, social adjustment, emotional skill, social interaction, emotional well-being, children and adolescent mental health

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Recent research shows a direct connection between healthy social-emotional development and academic success. The National Academy of Sciences identified three qualities children need to be ready for school: intellectual skills, motivation to learn, and strong social/emotional capacity. The report states:

Strong social-emotional development underlies all later social, emotional, and academic success. Young children who develop strong early relationships with parents, family, caregivers, and teachers learn how to pay attention, cooperate, and get along with others. They are confident in their ability to explore and learn from the world around them.

A person’s life experiences, genetic make up, and temperament can affect their social-emotional development. As your child’s first role model, you can send a positive message to them. Start by being supportive.

• Love your child and show your affection for them. Hug, cuddle, read, and talk with them throughout the day.
• Encourage your child to try new things. Help them see what they are capable of. Let your child know you are pleased with their accomplishments.
• Give your child opportunities to play with other children their age. Help them explore their world and get to know the people in it. Model kind and generous behaviors when interacting with other adults and children.
• Show your feelings. Let your child see when you are happy or sad. This helps them to develop empathy for others.
• Establish daily routines. Your child will feel confident and secure. They will learn that events can happen in an organized way. Create routines that are predictable but flexible.
• Acknowledge your child’s feelings. Help them talk about what they feel and how they are feeling. Comfort your child when they are upset. Hold them and speak softly and calmly.

Provide positive social-emotional opportunities for your child. They will feel good about themselves and develop confidence. Your child will form secure relationships with others and ultimately will be able to focus and learn. This strong and healthy foundation will lead to future academic success.