MATERNAL LIMIT-SETTING IN TODDLERHOOD: SOCIALIZATION STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-REGULATION

Early findings from the Prohibition Coding Scheme PCS; Houck & LeCuyer, 1995; LeCuyer-Maus & Houck, 2002; Medvin & Spieker, 1985 revealed that maternal limit-setting styles with toddlers were differentially related to later child social competence, self-concept, and delay of gratification. For this study, the PCS was revised to provide more information about the specific strat- egies mothers used during limit-setting in relation to those outcomes. Results from the PCS-Revised PCS-R; LeCuyer & Houck, 2004 included that the more time mothers spent actively distracting their toddlers away from a prohibited object during limit-setting, as early as 12 months, the longer their children could delay gratification at age 5 years. Mothers who spent more time sensitively following and being engaged in their toddler's own interests other than the prohibited object, again as early as 12 months, had more socially competent children with more developed self-concepts at age 3 years. Ma- ternal use of reasoning statements later in toddlerhood also related to higher levels of social competence. Maternal limits and prohibitions were not related to these outcomes, and appeared to contribute to the development of self-regulation mainly by creating the opportunity for the use of other, less directive strategies. The findings indicate that these strategies may be important to include in intervention pro- grams for the promotion of toddler and child development of self-regulation. RESUMEN: Los primeros resultados del Esquema de Codificacion de las Prohibiciones PCS revelaron que los estilos maternos de poner limites a los infantes estaban diferencialmente relacionados con la posterior competencia social del nino, al auto concepto, y la demora en la gratificacion. Para este estudio, el PCS fue revisado con el fin de proveer mas informacion acerca de las estrategias especificas que las madres usan cuando ponen limites en relacion con aquellos resultados. Los resultados del PCS revisado incluyen el hecho de que mientras mas tiempo las madres usan para distraer activamente al infante del objeto prohibido cuando se pone limites, tan temprano como a la edad de 12 meses, mas pueden demorar los ninos la gratificacion a la edad de 5 anos. Las madres que pasan mas tiempo dandole un sensible seguimiento e involucrandose en los intereses de su infante ademas del objeto prohibido, The work of the first author was supported by a predoctoral fellowship through an NINR/NIH Institutional National Research Service Award T32 NRO706102 and a postdoctoral fellowship through the NINR/NIH "Risk Assessment and Intervention Research with Individuals and Families" as well as grants from Hyundai Motor America and the American Nurses Foundation, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Beta Psi Chapter, and Delta Chi Chapter-At-Large of Sigma Theta Tau. The work of the second author was supported by Grant R29 NRO2870 from the National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH. Direct correspondence to: Elizabeth LeCuyer, OHShuffmanU- School of Nursing, 3455 S.W. U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239-2941; Electronic mail: