ROUND TABLE:
Emotion Regulation for Mothers of Young Children: Psychoeducation on Coping WIth Anger and Guilt Toward Children
OVERVIEW
An ability to use emotion regulation (ER) by mothers is a part of their self-efficacy in taking care of own well-being and it also impacts emotion socialization of their children. Parenting challenges mothers as they have to adjust to the children’s perception of the world, consider differences in developmental levels and capacities for self-regulation. One of the most challenging situations according to recent research (Prikhidko, Swank, manuscript in preparation) is children’s disobedience, which becomes a trigger for parental frustration and anger, followed by guilt in case hostile emotions were not regulated. However, there is a limited evidence describing hostile emotions that mothers may feel toward young children (Masin, 2013). Although, parents do feel hostile emotions such as anger and disgust even toward newborns (Graham, Lobel, & DeLuca, 2002).
Existing theories of ER might provide useful guidelines for mothers of young children (Gross, & Thompson, 2007; Sheppes, Gross, in press; Prikhidko, Swank, manuscript in preparation). Psychoeducation on ER for mothers of young children might be done in a workshop mode and encompass the following domains: (a) Emotion awareness – emotion vocabulary, emotion comprehension, (b) emotion observation: situation – emotion – cognition – intention to act – action, (c) emotion expression: suppression, repression and constructive expression.
QUESTIONS FOR THE ROUND TABLE:
- How do you think what can we educate mothers on concerning ER?
- What role does ethics play in emotional expression of anger toward a child?
- Is there a healthy way to suppress your feelings?
- Is it likely that a mother needs to take care of her child but has to remember about self-care when being angry?
Some resources
Graham, J. E., Lobel, M., & DeLuca, R. S. (2002). Anger after childbirth: An overlooked reaction to postpartum stressors. Psychology Of Women Quarterly, 26(3), 222-233. doi:10.1111/1471-6402.00061
Gross, J. J., & Thompson, R. A. (2007). Emotion regulation. Conceptual foundations. In J. J. Gross (Eds.). Handbook of emotion regulation, 3-24. New York, NY: The Guilford Press
Masin, T. D. (2013). Parent anger: how often or how much?. Dissertation Abstracts International, 74
Nummenmaa, L., Glerean, R.H., Heitanen, J.K. (2013). Bodily maps of emotions. Proceedings of the National Academy of sciences, 111 (2), 646-651
Norcross, J. C., & Kobayashi, M. (1999). Treating anger in psychotherapy: Introduction and cases. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55 (3), 275-282. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199903)55:3
Prikhidko, A., Swank, J. M. (2016) Emotion regulation for counselors-in-training. Manuscript in preparation.
Sheppes, G., & Gross, J. J. (in press). Emotion regulation effectiveness: what works when. Handbook of Psychology, 2nd edition: Wiley-Blackwell Press
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B07D-FbJVSmtS1FmWkd2Qk9Lak0