Toddler behavior problems amid household chaos: Is responsive parenting protective for everyone?

Objective This study examined household chaos and children's behavior problems, exploring emotionally responsive parenting as a potential protective factor for children in Early Head Start (EHS) while considering child race and ethnicity as well as several socioeconomic and household contextual factors. Background Household chaos relates to children's difficulty with self-regulation and behavior problems. Emotionally responsive parenting could protect against the negative effects of chaos for children. However, both the perception of chaos and impact of parenting behaviors on children's behavior may vary with race, ethnicity, crowding in the home, and other contextual factors. Method This study examined relations among chaos, observed emotional responsivity, and toddler's subsequent behavior problems among EHS Family and Child Experiences Study participants. Results Chaos was associated with more behavior problems, and three-way interaction findings indicated significant group differences by race and ethnicity in the relation between chaos and parenting on behavior problems. Behavior problems were also higher in lower socioeconomic contexts, and with child exposure to violence. Conclusion Chaos and parenting both influence children's early behavior problems, with distinct findings by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic, and other contextual factors. Implications These findings may reflect differing perceptions and effects of chaos and parenting, with important implications for research and prevention.