IMPROVING PARENTING OF TODDLERS’ EMOTIONS USING AN EMOTION COACHING PARENTING PROGRAM: A PILOT STUDY OF TUNING IN TO TODDLERS

Parental responses to children's emotions influence children's emotion‐related abilities. Tuning in to Toddlers (TOTS) is a new emotion‐focused parenting program for parents of toddlers aged 18 to 36 months. It is based on the empirically tested Tuning in to Kids program that teaches parents how to emotion coach their children. In the current pilot study, an intervention‐only sample of parents of typically developing toddlers attended a 6‐session group program. At preprogram and postprogram, parents’ emotion‐coaching and emotion‐dismissing behaviors were assessed using self‐report questionnaires and observation measures. Results showed significant increases in self‐reported and observed emotion coaching behaviors and use of emotion talk after intervention. There was also a significant decrease in self‐reported and observed emotion dismissing behaviors, and toddler externalizing behavior problems. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for TOTS and suggest its potential as a valuable intervention for supporting parents in their efforts to emotion coach their toddlers.