Mothers’ physical interventions in toddler play in a low-income, African American sample

•We examined low-income African American mothers interventions in toddler play.•While intervening, boys’ mothers showed more cheerful affect than girls’ mothers.•The most common purpose of interventions was to teach how to play or to correct it.•Boys were more upset than girls immediately after physical interventions.•Toddlers were least upset by interventions intended to protect health or safety.

This mixed method study examined 28 low-income African American mothers’ physical interventions in their 14-month-old toddlers’ play. Inductive methods were used to identify six physical intervention behaviors, the affect accompanying physical interventions, and apparent reasons for intervening. Nonparametric statistical analyses determined that toddlers experienced physical intervention largely in the context of positive maternal affect. Mothers of boys expressed highly positive affect while physically intervening more than mothers of girls. Most physically intervening acts seemed to be motivated by maternal intent to show or tell children how to play or to correct play deemed incorrect. Neutral affect was the most common toddler affect type following physical intervention, but boys were more likely than girls to be upset immediately after physical interventions. Physical interventions intended to protect health and safety seemed the least likely to elicit toddler upset.