Affection and Boundaries in Parenting: An Ethical Analysis from a Family Education Perspective

(Kasih Sayang dan Batasan dalam Pengasuhan Anak: Analisis Etis dari Perspektif Pendidikan Keluarga)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12026/sym.v1i1.087

Keywords:

Affection, Boundaries, Emotional Regulation, Family Education, Parenting

Abstract

Parenting play an important role in shaping emotional regulation and character development in children. In everyday practice, affection is often understood as emotional support without clear boundaries, which can potentially hinder the development of children’s self-regulation. This article aims to analyze the relationship between affection and boundaries in child-rearing patterns from the perspective of parenting ethics and family education. The article was written using a conceptual-analytical approach, drawing on a review of scientific literature from the past five years and reflecting on professional practice in the field of child development services. The analysis results indicate that parenting styles emphasizing unconditional love without consistent boundaries tend to be associated with poor emotional regulation, self-control, and child responsibility. Conversely, integrating affection, structure, and ethical values into parenting supports more adaptive emotional development and prepares children to face social and educational demands.

Abstrak
Pola asuh orang tua memegang peran penting dalam pembentukan regulasi emosi dan pengembangan karakter anak. Dalam praktik sehari-hari, kasih sayang sering dipahami sebagai dukungan emosional tanpa disertai batasan yang jelas, sehingga berpotensi menghambat perkembangan regulasi diri anak. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis relasi antara kasih sayang dan batasan dalam pola asuh anak dari perspektif etika pengasuhan dan pendidikan keluarga. Penulisan artikel menggunakan pendekatan konseptual-analitis melalui kajian literatur ilmiah lima tahun terakhir serta refleksi praktik profesional di bidang layanan tumbuh kembang anak. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa pola asuh yang menekankan kasih sayang tanpa batasan yang konsisten cenderung berkaitan dengan lemahnya regulasi emosi, kontrol diri, dan tanggung jawab anak. Sebaliknya, integrasi kasih sayang, struktur, dan nilai etis dalam pengasuhan mendukung perkembangan emosi yang lebih adaptif dan kesiapan anak menghadapi tuntutan sosial dan pendidikan.

Author Biography

  • Tri Gunadi, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945

    Tri Gunadi is a clinical child psychologist and practitioner in child development services. He is affiliated with a child development and family education practice, with professional interests in parenting, emotional regulation, child development, and family-based educational interventions. His work focuses on integrating psychological perspectives and ethical considerations in parenting and family education.

References

Alegre, A. “Parenting Styles and Children’s Emotional Intelligence: What do We Know?” The Family Journal, 19, no. 1, (2010): 56-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480710387486

Bariola, E., Gullone, E. & Hughes, E.K. “Child and Adolescent Emotion Regulation: The Role of Parental Emotion Regulation and Expression.” Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review 14, (2011): 198–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-011-0092-5

Bornstein, Marc H. “Parenting and Child Mental Health: A Cross-Cultural Perspective.” World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) 12, no. 3 (2013): 258-65. doi:10.1002/wps.20071

Coyne, Sarah M., Jenny Radesky, Kevin M. Collier, Douglas A. Gentile, Jennifer Ruh Linder, Amy I. Nathanson, Eric E. Rasmussen, Stephanie M. Reich, and Jean Rogers. “Parenting and digital media.” Pediatrics 140, no. Supplement_2 (2017): S112-S116.

Diamond, Adele. “Executive Functions. Annual Review Psychology.” 64, (2013) :135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Domoff SE, Borgen AL, Foley RP, Maffett A. “Excessive use of mobile devices and children’s physical health.” Human Behaviour & Emerging Technologies, 1. (2019): 169–175. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.145

Fay-Stammbach, Tania, David J. Hawes, and Pamela Meredith. “Parenting Influences on Executive Function in Early Childhood: A Review.” Child Development Perspectives 8, no. 4 (2020): 258–264. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12095

Hajal, Nastassia J., and Galen D. McNeil. “The Role of Parents’ Emotion Regulation in Supporting Parenting Behaviors and Practices.” Chapter. In Emotion Regulation and Parenting, edited by Isabelle Roskam, James J. Gross, and Moïra Mikolajczak. Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2023): 57–81.

Gross, J. J. “Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects.” Psychological Inquiry, 26, no. 1, (2015): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781

Grusec, J. E., & Goodnow, J. J. “Impact of parental discipline methods on the child’s internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view.” Developmental Psychology, 30, no. 1, (1994): 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.30.1.4

Kristjánsson, Kristján. 2025. “Recent Developments in the Field of Moral Education—and Some Prompts for Authors, Old and New.” Journal of Moral Education 54 (4): 519–25. doi:10.1080/03057240.2025.2577606

Lin, Mei-Ling, and Richard A. Faldowski. 2023. “The Relationship of Parent Support and Child Emotional Regulation to School Readiness.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 6: 4867. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064867

Nucci, Larry, Darcia Narvaez, and Tobias Krettenauer. Handbook of Moral and Character Education. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, (2023).

Pino-Pasternak, Deborah, Debora Valcan, and Anabela Malpique. “Associations between the home environment, parenting and self-regulation in early childhood.” The Sage handbook of developmental psychology and early childhood education 1 (2019): 487-501.

Pinquart, Martin. “Associations of Parenting Styles and Dimensions with Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis.” Educational Psychology Review 28, (2016): 475–493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9338-y

Setyaningsih, Diana, Agustinus Tandilo Mamma, Erna Olua, and Sirjon Sirjon. “The Impact of Authoritative Parenting Patterns on the Social-Emotional Development of Early Childhood in Indonesia”. World Psychology, 4, no. 1 (2025): 112-22. https://doi.org/10.55849/wp.v4i1.808

Taraban, L., & Shaw, D. S. “Parenting in Context: Revisiting Belsky’s Classic Process of Parenting Model in Early Childhood.” Developmental Review, 48, (2018): 55-81.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.03.006

Walker, Lawrence J. “Morality, Religion, Spirituality—the Value of Saintliness.” Journal of Moral Education 32, No. 4 (2003): 373–84. doi:10.1080/0305724032000161277.

Williams, Kathryn E et al. “Inflexible parents, inflexible kids: a 6-year longitudinal study of parenting style and the development of psychological flexibility in adolescents.” Journal of youth and adolescence, 41, no. 8 (2012): 1053-66. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9744-0

Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Rudolph, J., Kerin, J., & Bohadana-Brown, G. “Parent emotional regulation: A meta-analytic review of its association with parenting and child adjustment.” International Journal of Behavioral Development, 46, no.1 (2021): 63-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254211051086

Downloads

Published

2026-01-04

How to Cite

Tri Gunadi, Andik Matulessy, and Basillia. 2026. “Affection and Boundaries in Parenting: An Ethical Analysis from a Family Education Perspective: (Kasih Sayang Dan Batasan Dalam Pengasuhan Anak: Analisis Etis Dari Perspektif Pendidikan Keluarga)”. SYMPHONIA: Journal of Theory and Research Output 1 (1): 23-29. https://doi.org/10.12026/sym.v1i1.087.