Maternal Meanings of Childhood Tantrums in Preschool Children: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20615477Keywords:
child behavior, child rearing, emotion regulationAbstract
This study aims to understand how mothers interpret their preschool-aged children’s tantrums and what meaning they attribute to them in the context of emotional regulation and family life. A qualitative study with an interpretive phenomenological approach was conducted at the Ovidio de Croli Preschool, located in Jauja, Peru. Ten mothers of preschoolers, selected through purposive sampling, participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the interpretive phenomenological method. The mothers described tantrums as expressions of frustration, a need for attention, or behaviors typical of child development. These episodes generated feelings of concern, frustration, and helplessness. To cope with them, they primarily resorted to dialogue, emotional support, and distraction; however, in more tense situations, they also exhibited punitive responses. Tantrums are part of a complex experience where the child’s emotional development and family dynamics converge. Understanding how mothers perceive them can guide parental support strategies that promote better emotional regulation and healthier family relationships.
Downloads
References
Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson. https://archive.org/details/familytherapyinc0000bowe/page/n7/mode/2up
Bornstein, M. H. (2012). Cultural approaches to parenting. Parenting: Science and Practice, 12(2–3), 212–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2012.683359
Breaux, R., Harvey, E., y Lugo-Candelas, C. (2024). Emotion regulation, parenting, and psychopathology: A systematic review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 27, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-023-00452-5
Denham, S. A. (2020). Emotional competence during early childhood: Developmental foundations and implications for education. Early Education and Development, 31(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1629554
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T., y Eggum, N. (2019). Emotion-related self-regulation and its relation to children's maladjustment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, 495–525. 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131208
Gottman, J., Katz, L., y Hooven, C. (2019). Meta-emotion: How families communicate emotionally. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203763568
Guerrero, R. (2021). Índice y capítulo 1. El cerebro infantil y adolescente [Manuscrito no publicado]. https://rafaguerrero.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Indice-y-capitulo-1-El-cerebro-infantil-y-adolescente.pdf
Jusienė, R., Breidokienė, R., Baukienė, E., y Rakickienė, L. (2025). Emotional reactivity and behavioral problems in preschoolers. Children, 12(2), 188. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020188
Konok, V., Binet, M., Korom, Á., Pogány, Á., Miklósi, Á., & Fitzpatrick, C. (2024). Cure for tantrums? Parental digital emotion regulation and children's self-regulatory skills. Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 3, 1276154. https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2024.1276154
Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674292369
Montroy, J., Bowles, R., Skibbe, L., McClelland, M., y Morrison, F. (2019). The development of self-regulation across early childhood. Developmental Psychology, 55(9), 1896–1911. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000739
Morris, A., Criss, M., Silk, J., y Houltberg, B. (2020). The impact of parenting on emotion regulation during childhood. Child Development Perspectives, 14(3), 147–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12375
Organización Mundial de la Salud. (2013). Plan de acción sobre salud mental 2013–2020. OMS. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506021
Papalia, D. E., y Martorell, G. (2017). Desarrollo humano (13.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill. https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/desarrollo-humano-papalia/M9786071512949.html
Potegal, M., y Davidson, R. J. (2003). Temper tantrums in young children: Behavioral composition. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 24(3), 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004703-200306000-00002
Rimm-Kaufman, S., y Pianta, R. (2020). Family–school relationships and children’s development. Educational Psychologist, 55(3), 147–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2020.1745156
Sanders, M. R. (2012). Development, evaluation, and multinational dissemination of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8, 345–379. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032511-143104
Shonkoff, J. P., y Phillips, D. A. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academy Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9824/from-neurons-to-neighborhoods-the-science-of-early-childhood-development
Simaes, A., Mancini, N., Uezen-Bozzi, Gago-Galvagno, L., y Pedrón, V. (2024). Parenting practices and emotional regulation in infants: A systematic review. Revista Interamericana de Psicología, 58(3), e1884. https://doi.org/10.30849/ripijp.v58i3.1884
Thompson, R. A. (2019). Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 84(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12405
Tremblay, R. (2019). Developmental origins of disruptive behaviour problems. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 64(6), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743719830031
Tremblay, R. E., Nagin, D. S., Séguin, J. R., et al. (2004). Physical aggression during early childhood: Trajectories and predictors. Pediatrics, 114(1), e43–e50. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.114.1.e43
Zelazo, P. D., y Carlson, S. M. (2020). The neurodevelopment of executive function skills. Nature Reviews Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-020-00005-1
Zinsser, K., Denham, S., Curby, T., y Shewark, E. (2019). Early childhood teachers’ emotional competence and children’s social-emotional learning. Early Education and Development, 30(7), 905–920. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1622556
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.
