Maternal gatekeeping is characterized by the extent to which mothers engage in behaviors that ultimately serve to inhibit (i.e., gate close) or encourage (i.e., gate open) father involvement in childrearing. This study considered direct and indirect associations between observed and reported maternal gatekeeping and children’s social–emotional difficulties. Data come from a sample of 182 parents who transitioned to parenthood in 2008–2010 and their young children. Results of longitudinal path analyses indicated mothers’ perceptions of maternal gate closing at 3-months postpartum were associated with greater dysregulation (β = .21, 95% CI [.08, .35], p = .002) and externalizing (β = .25, 95% CI [.10, .41], p = .001) in 26-month-old toddlers. Observed maternal gate opening at 3-months postpartum predicted lower dysregulation (β = −.18, 95% CI [−.32, −.05], p = .008) in 26-month-old toddlers. Observed fathers’ parenting quality did not mediate associations between maternal gatekeeping and child social–emotional difficulties. However, a statistically significant interaction between infant negative affect and observed maternal gate opening emerged as a predictor of toddler dysregulation, such that the adjusted negative effect of observed maternal gate opening on toddler dysregulation was strongest when infant negative affect was low. Statistically significant interactions between fathers’ perceptions of gate closing and infant negative affect also emerged as predictors of toddler dysregulation and externalizing. Infants high in negative affect exposed to maternal gate closing were at the greatest risk for externalizing and dysregulation difficulties. Implications for maternal gatekeeping theory and research are discussed.

母亲把关的特点是母亲参与最终有助于抑制（即关门）或鼓励（即打开门）父亲参与育儿的行为的程度。这项研究考虑了观察到和报告的母亲把关与儿童的社会情绪困难之间的直接和间接关联。数据来自 2008-2010 年过渡为父母的 182 名父母及其年幼子女的样本。纵向路径分析结果表明，母亲对产后 3 个月母体门关闭的看法与更大的失调（β = .21, 95% CI [.08, .35], p = .002）和外化（β = .25, 95% CI [.10, .41], p= .001) 在 26 个月大的幼儿中。在产后 3 个月观察到母体门打开预测较低的失调 (β = -.18, 95% CI [-.32, -.05], p= .008) 在 26 个月大的幼儿中。观察到的父亲的养育质量并没有在母亲把关和孩子的社会情感困难之间起到中介作用。然而，婴儿负面情绪与观察到的母亲门打开之间的统计学显着相互作用成为幼儿失调的预测因子，因此当婴儿负面影响较低时，观察到的母亲门打开对幼儿失调的调整后负面影响最强。父亲对关门的看法与婴儿负面影响之间的统计学显着相互作用也成为幼儿失调和外化的预测因素。暴露于母体关门的负面情绪高的婴儿面临外化和失调困难的最大风险。