Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies

Department

Child Development

First Reader/Committee Chair

Stacy Morris

Abstract

Social-emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood plays a critical role in

children’s ability to recognize emotions, regulate behavior, build relationships,

and succeed in academic settings. During the preschool years (ages 3–5),

children experience rapid emotional development and rely heavily on parents for

co-regulation, emotional modeling, and guidance. Research consistently shows

that when parents engage in emotion coaching practices, such as labeling

feelings, validating emotions, and modeling regulation strategies, children

demonstrate stronger emotional competence and improved developmental

outcomes. However, despite strong evidence supporting parent involvement in

SEL, many existing interventions are delivered through structured, in-person

programs that are often inaccessible to families facing time, financial, or logistical

barriers. Additionally, parents may understand the importance of supporting

emotional development but struggle to consistently apply these strategies in

everyday situations, particularly when experiencing stress. This project

addresses these gaps by developing a TikTok-based parent education resource

designed to support parents of preschool-aged children in promoting emotion

recognition and emotion regulation (ERR). Using short, accessible videos, the

project models developmentally appropriate SEL strategies, including co-

regulation techniques, emotion labeling, and play-based activities that can be

integrated into daily routines. The resource is intentionally designed to be flexible

and accessible, particularly for families from low-resource or high-stress

iiicontexts. Project efficacy will be evaluated through engagement-based data,

including video interactions, comments, and participation in live sessions. By

using a widely used digital platform, this project aims to bridge the gap between

research and practice, increase parent confidence, and support children’s

emotional development in everyday home environments.

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