Mother-child play: Sequential interactions and the relation between maternal beliefs and behaviors

DEVELOPMENT, 1996, 67, 17.52-1766. This investigation of mother and toddler play had 2 goals. The primary goal was to examine the t>'pes of play mothers introduce in direct response to their tpddlers ' play. A secondary ' and exploratory goal was to examine the relation between maternal knowledge about child play and actual maternal play behaviors. 50 mothers and their 21-month-old toddlers were observed at home duimg free play. Mother and child explorator>', nonsymbolic, and symbolic play were coded. Sequential analyses revealed that mothers adjusted their play to their children's play level by responding to their children with play that was either at the same level or at a higher level than their children's play. Furthermore, mothers who were more knowledgeable about early play development more often responded to their children's play by introducing higher level play. These flndings suggest that mothers tend to play with their tod-dlers in ways that might promote their child's development, and that mothers with more knowl-edge about play development provide their children with appropriately challenging play interac-tions. In Western cultures, play often occurs dren's play? Second, if mothers do respond in a social setting (Haight & Miller, 1993). differentially to their children's play, does In the child's first few years, when new cog- mothers ' knowledge about early play devel-nitive and social skills are developing, a opment relate to mothers ' actual play with more knowledgeable social partner, like their children? mother, is thought to facilitate the develop-ment of more sophisticated play. Two re- In the first year, children learn about ob-lated questions about maternal play behav- jects m their environment through explora-iors were investigated in the present study, tion—they mouth, look at, and manipulate First, are mothers sensitive to their chil- them (e.g., Belsky & Most, 1981; Bornstei