Variability in parenting behaviors during play and during mealtimes with toddlers

Few empirical studies have explored variability in parenting behaviors observed in a mealtime setting as well as in a play setting with young children. We analyzed data from 282 parent-toddler dyads who participated in the Play & Grow study in the United States in 2017-2019. Parent-child interactions were video-recorded during play in the laboratory when the child was 18 months old and then during mealtime in the home 6-months later. Standardized coding procedures were used to rate parenting behaviors (sensitivity, cognitive stimulation, positive regard, detachment, intrusive control, negative regard). We describe correlations and differences and variability in parenting behavior between the two assessments and relative to child sex, gestational age, parent education level, household composition, and household income. Detachment was lower on average during play at 18 months compared to during mealtime at 24 months (Cohen's d=-.40), and the other five parenting behaviors were greater on average during play than during mealtime (d=.18-.43) Sociodemographic characteristics were unrelated to the magnitude of individual differences across contexts in any of the parenting behaviors. Implications for research on associations between parent-child interactions and risk for childhood obesity are discussed.