“Tuning into Kids”: Reducing Young Children’s Behavior Problems Using an Emotion Coaching Parenting Program

Abstract

This study evaluated a 6-session group parenting program, Tuning into Kids (TIK), as treatment for young children (aged 4.0-5.11 years) with behavior problems. TIK targets parent emotion socialization (parent emotion awareness, regulation and emotion coaching skills). Fifty-four parents, recruited via a child behavior clinic, were randomized into intervention (TIK) or waitlist (clinical treatment as usual). Parents reported emotion awareness/regulation, emotion coaching, empathy and child behavior (pre-intervention, post-intervention, 6-month follow-up); teachers reported child behavior and observers rated parent-child emotion coaching and child emotion knowledge (pre-intervention, follow-up). Data were analyzed using growth curve modeling and ANCOVA. Parents in both conditions reported less emotional dismissiveness and reduced child behavior problems; in the intervention group, parents also reported greater empathy and had improved observed emotion coaching skills; their children had greater emotion knowledge and reduced teacher-reported behavior problems. TIK appears to be a promising addition to treatment for child behavior problems.

Emotion Coaching - A Strategy for Promoting Behavioural Self-Regulation in Children/Young People In Schools: A Pilot Study

“…Secondly, our findings reveal a reduction in disruptive behaviour and a positive impact on behavioural regulation (improved pro-social behaviour) by the children/young people across the settings. This concurs with successful usage of emotion coaching in reducing externalising behaviour (Havighurst et al, 2013;Katz & Windecker-Nelson, 2004). One particularly interesting finding was the reduction in the use of sanctions and rewards in the secondary school case study.…”

“…An emotion dismissing parenting style, whether disregarding or punitive, has a negative impact on children's emotional regulation and behavioural outcomes (Gottman et al, 1996). These alternative styles of interaction correlate with the findings from the wealth of research which has extensively explored the consequences of insensitive and unresponsive parenting (see Havighurst et al, 2013).…”

“…Katz et al identify that emotion coaching embraces 'three key aspects of children's emotional competence: emotional awareness, expression and regulation' improving children's psycho-social adjustment and peer relations (2012: 418). This is reiterated by Havighurst et al's (2013) review of the literature on emotional competence which comprises skill development in the knowledge, understanding and communication of self and others' emotions, alongside the capacity to modulate affect expression in socio-culturally appropriate ways. The affective teacher behaviours of warmth and empathy are strongly associated with positive school outcomes (Cornelius-White, 2007) and, as noted in our introduction, skills in emotional regulation have significant educational and social effects (Durlak et al, 2011, MacCann, 2010Weare and Gray, 2003).…”

“…Randomised Control Trials in America have demonstrated that emotion coaching enables children to have better emotional regulation, more competent problem-solving, higher selfesteem, better academic success, more positive peer relations and fewer behavioural problems (Gottman et al, 1997). Emotion coaching has been used to support children with conduct behavioral difficulties ( Havighurst et al 2013;Katz & Windecker-Nelson, 2004), depression (Katz & Hunter, 2007) and those exposed to violent environments, including inter-parental violence, maltreatment and community violence (Shipman et al, 2007, Katz et al, 2008Cunningham et al, 2009). Emotion coaching has also been positively correlated with secure attachments (Chen et al, 2011), and used effectively to improve the psychological functioning of children who have experienced complex trauma (Murphy et al, forthcoming), as well as reduce the externalising behaviours of children with ASD .…”

An Emotion-Focused Early Intervention for Children with Emerging Conduct Problems

“…Multi-systemic interventions with this focus in the parenting component have not as yet been evaluated. Interventions, however, solely targeting emotion socialization practices with parents have recently begun to emerge for children with behavior problems (Havighurst et al 2013;Salmon et al 2009). The Tuning in to Kids (TIK) program teaches parents to emotion coach their children whilst regulating their own emotions.…”