The current study focuses on understanding the perspectives of a group of Latinx immigrant parents' parenting knowledge, parenting attitudes (beliefs), and parenting practices in relation to their preschool children's self-regulation skills, and how cultural values might influence these processes. To do this, four Mexican and two Honduran immigrant parents from a Head Start center were recruited and interviewed. Based on qualitative data analysis, the results suggest that the Latinx cultural values of respeto, educación, and simpatía seemed to play a crucial role in this group of Latinx immigrant parents' parenting attitudes and practices, such as what purpose self-regulation should serve, and how they support this skill at home. Findings also highlight this group of Latinx immigrant parents' knowledge of self-regulation based on their own parenting experiences and call attention to the need to value and capitalize on Latinx immigrant parents' developmental knowledge. Results elevate the role of culture in how self-regulation is conceptualized in families of color, such as Mexican and Central American families, and the parenting practices they use to support this skill in their young children. Implications for early childhood educators and how they can develop trusting and collaborative relationships with Latinx parents are discussed.
Cinthia I. Palomino (Fri,) studied this question.