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Parenting Intervention Programs Supporting Social–Emotional Development in Preschool Children: A Literature Review: History
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Contributor: Athina Vatou ,
Maria Evangelou-Tsitiridou
, Eleni Tympa , Athanasios Gregoriadis , Anastasia Vatou

Social–emotional development in early childhood lays the groundwork for school readiness, healthy relationships, and long-term well-being. Parents play a pivotal role in this process, shaping children’s emotional awareness, regulation, and social competence through everyday interactions. This literature review synthesizes evidence from 74 peer-reviewed studies to evaluate nine evidence-based parenting interventions targeting parents of preschool-aged children. The programs were analyzed with respect to their objectives, theoretical foundations, components, and the resulting outcomes for both parents and children. Across interventions, consistent benefits emerged in children, including improved emotion recognition, regulation, empathy, and prosocial behavior, as well as reductions in internalizing problems. Parents also gained in confidence and positive discipline practices. Key elements linked to effectiveness included active parent skill-building (such as modeling, role play, and guided practice), structured parent–child interactions, multi-component designs integrating home and school contexts, and flexible delivery formats that adapt to family needs. These findings underscore the critical role of parenting interventions as an evidence-based method to enhance preschoolers’ social–emotional development.

  • parenting intervention programs
  • social–emotional development
  • preschool children
  • parent–child interactions
Social–emotional development (SED) is defined as the evolving capacity of individuals to understand, express, and regulate emotions, and to form positive interpersonal relationships [1]. In early childhood, this developmental domain lays a critical foundation for children’s overall well-being, school readiness, and long-term success [2][3]. Competence in social and emotional functioning is not only essential for building peer and adult relationships but is also intricately linked to cognitive processes, behavioral regulation, and academic performance.
Research has consistently shown that children who develop the ability to identify and manage their emotions, empathize with others, and engage in socially appropriate expression are more likely to resolve conflicts constructively and sustain meaningful relationships [4]. Conversely, delays or difficulties in this area are associated with long-term challenges, including behavior problems, academic underachievement, and mental health difficulties in adolescence and adulthood [5].
Emotional competence, a core component of SED, is central to children’s social adaptation and learning processes [6]. These skills do not operate in isolation; rather, they interact to promote social competence, which is defined as the capacity to achieve contextually appropriate goals in social interactions [7]. In the preschool years, social competence manifests primarily through successful peer and teacher interactions and participation in activities that support individual growth [8]. Given the foundational role of SED in early childhood, it is essential to understand how it can be supported and nurtured, particularly within the family context.
Building on ecological and attachment perspectives, children’s social–emotional competence is shaped through interactions with multiple environmental systems, including family, school, and broader social contexts [9]. Among these, the family environment—and specifically the parental role—emerges as the most foundational influence, especially during early childhood. Parents serve not only as primary caregivers but also as emotional and behavioral role models, thereby laying the foundation for how children understand, express, and manage emotions [10]. Through daily interactions, they help children interpret emotional experiences and navigate the social world. Parental behaviors such as emotional expressiveness, attunement, and emotion-focused conversations significantly shape the development of emotional competence in young children [11][12]. Evidence consistently suggests that children whose parents model positive emotional expression and respond supportively to their emotional needs are more likely to exhibit emotional understanding, empathy, and regulation [13][14]. Moreover, when parents engage their children in conversations about emotions and collaboratively make sense of emotional experiences, they enhance children’s emotional literacy and social understanding [15][16].
In addition to emotional development, parents play a crucial role in the emergence of children’s social competence. Attachment theory posits that secure relationships with caregivers provide a safe base for children to explore social interactions, thereby supporting the development of socially appropriate behaviors [7][17]. Early interactions with responsive caregivers equip children with the skills to engage with others, interpret social cues, and build trusting relationships [18].
The quality of parental care is also a key determinant of developmental outcomes. Warm, sensitive, and age-appropriate parenting is consistently linked to stronger SED, while low-quality or inconsistent caregiving can hinder children’s ability to form healthy emotional and social connections [19][20]. Thus, parents are not only facilitators of early social–emotional learning but also critical agents of long-term emotional well-being and interpersonal success.
Given the foundational role of parents in shaping children’s emotional awareness, regulation, and interpersonal skills, it is essential to understand how structured parenting interventions can be leveraged to support children’s SED during the preschool years. Over the past decades, a variety of parenting programs have been developed internationally, many of which are grounded in developmental and attachment theories and emphasize skill-building through experiential learning, modeling, and parent–child interaction. These programs aim not only to improve parenting practices but also to promote positive child outcomes across emotional and social domains. However, despite their widespread application and demonstrated efficacy in many countries, there remains limited synthesis of the specific program components that contribute most effectively to early social–emotional development.
This literature review synthesizes evidence on parenting programs designed to promote the social–emotional development (SED) of preschool-aged children. Its primary aim is to identify the core components and mechanisms that most effectively enhance parenting practices and, in turn, support positive child outcomes. To achieve this, the review addresses the following research question: “Which evidence-based parenting interventions are effective in promoting the SED of preschool-aged children, and what are the key program components that account for their effectiveness?”.

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/encyclopedia6010017

References

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  2. Denham, S.A. Social-Emotional Competence as Support for School Readiness: What Is It and How Do We Assess It? Early Educ. Dev. 2006, 17, 57–89.
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  15. Brownell, C.A.; Svetlova, M.; Anderson, R.; Nichols, S.R.; Drummond, J. Socialization of Early Prosocial Behavior: Parents’ Talk about Emotions Is Associated with Sharing and Helping in Toddlers. Infancy 2012, 18, 91–119.
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  17. Barone, L.; Lionetti, F. Attachment and Emotional Understanding: A Study on Late-Adopted Pre-Schoolers and Their Parents. Child Care Health Dev. 2011, 38, 690–696.
  18. Thompson, R.A.; Meyer, S. Socialization of Emotion Regulation in the Family. In Handbook of Emotion Regulation; Gross, J.J., Ed.; Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA, 2007; pp. 249–268.
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