Parents' recall of childhood relationships and sense of love worthiness: Associations with children's socioemotional functioning in middle childhood

The association of parents' recollections of childhood parental acceptance and current sense of love worthiness with children's socioemotional functio ning was evaluated in a sample of 73 6- to 7-year-olds. A multimethod appro ach to assessing children's peer functioning was used: observers rated chil dren's peer competence in a play and problem-solving laboratory procedure, mothers reported on their children's behaviors and peer relationships, and children provided their self perceptions regarding acceptance by peers. Mot hers who recalled greater parental acceptance by their own parents during c hildhood had children who perceived themselves as being more accepted by pe ers and performed more competently in a laboratory peer interaction session . Fathers' recollections of their early parental relationships were not ass ociated with their children's socioemotional functioning.