The interplay of parenting and environmental sensitivity on children’s behavioral adjustment during, and immediately after, the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions was investigated in two longitudinal studies involving Italian preschoolers (Study 1, N = 72; 43% girls, Myears = 3.82(1.38)) and primary school children (Study 2, N = 94; 55% girls, Myears = 9.08(0.56)). Data were collected before and during the first-wave lockdown (Studies 1 and 2) and one month later (Study 1). Parental stress and parent–child closeness were measured. Markers of environmental sensitivity in children were temperamental fearfulness and Sensory Processing Sensitivity. Results showed little change in externalizing and internalizing behaviors over time, but differences emerged when considering parenting and children’s environmental sensitivity. In preschoolers, greater parenting stress was related to a stronger increase in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, with children high in fearful temperament showing a more marked decrease in externalizing behaviors when parenting stress was low. In school-aged children, parent–child closeness emerged as a protective factor for internalizing and externalizing behaviors during COVID-19, with children high in Sensory Processing Sensitivity showing a marked decrease in internalizing behaviors when closeness was high. Implications for developmental theory and practice in times of pandemic are discussed.

两项涉及意大利学龄前儿童的纵向研究调查了在 COVID-19 封锁限制期间和之后，养育方式和环境敏感性对儿童行为调整的相互作用（研究 1，N = 72；43% 女孩，M年= 3.82 （ 1.38 )) 和小学生（研究 2，N = 94；55% 女孩，M岁= 9.08(0.56)）。数据是在第一波封锁之前和期间（研究 1 和 2）以及一个月后（研究 1）收集的。测量了父母的压力和亲子亲密程度。儿童环境敏感性的标志是气质恐惧和感觉处理敏感性。结果显示，随着时间的推移，外化和内化行为几乎没有变化，但在考虑养育子女和儿童的环境敏感性时，差异出现了。在学龄前儿童中，更大的养育压力与内化和外化行为的强烈增加有关，当养育压力较低时，恐惧气质高的孩子表现出外化行为更明显的减少。在学龄儿童中，亲子亲密程度成为 COVID-19 期间内化和外化行为的保护因素，感觉处理敏感性高的儿童在亲密程度较高时表现出内化行为显着减少。讨论了大流行时期发展理论和实践的意义。