Parenting provides many positive experiences for mothers and fathers but also presents many challenges, such as regulating their emotions during interactions with their children. However, measures of emotion regulation (ER) within the parenting context are lacking. This study developed a measure of ER in parenting, the Regulating Emotions in Parenting Scale (REPS), using previous research and theory. Phase 1 supported a three-factor (Self-Awareness, Suppression, and Rumination) structure, and this factor structure was confirmed in Phase 2. Tests of measurement invariance and differential item functioning provided evidence of invariance by gender. Lastly, correlations between REPS factors and measures of parenting, psychopathology, and general emotion regulation were in the expected direction; correlations between the REPS and measures of parenting and psychopathology were higher in magnitude than those with general measures of emotion regulation, suggesting higher specificity. Future studies should replicate these findings in other populations and establish invariance by race and ethnicity.
