The current study examines the contribution of emotional attachment patterns and parenting styles as predictors of
emotion regulation among Arab kindergarten children. Emotion regulation is defined as the strategic ability to
regulate the internal situation and the emotional expression within a broader framework of self-control (Cole, Zahn-
Waxler, & Smith, 1994). The prevailing definition of self-control is the ability to comply, to initiate and terminate a
task in accordance with the situation, to regulate the strength, the frequency and duration of verbal and motor
activities, to delay gratification and to behave in a manner acceptable to society in the absence of external factors
(Kopp 1982). The importance of this study stems from a lack of studies on this topic in the Arab sector. In addition,
the research will contribute to the expansion of knowledge on the subject, and also to the development of
workshops for kindergarten teachers and mothers that will deal with the subject of emotion regulation and its
importance to children’s development and their adjustment. The current study endeavors to find an answer to the
following questions: Does a relationship exist between parenting styles and emotion regulation ability among
kindergarten children? Does a relationship exist between emotional attachment styles and emotion regulation
ability among kindergarten children?