Examination of the child mind-mindedness in early childhood

The primary aim of this study is to examine the levels of mind-mindedness in children. Additionally, one of the secondary aims of the research is to explore the contexts in which children's level of being mind-minded can be evaluated. The study was conducted using the grounded theory design, a qualitative research method. The participant group consisted of 51 individuals, including 25 children aged between 60 and 84 months and their 26 mothers, all residing in Istanbul and enrolled in preschool or the first grade of primary school during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years. Among the children, 12 were attending preschool, while 13 were enrolled in first grade. The data for the study were collected through interviews, observations, developmental tests, and similar tools. Based on the data obtained from the participating children, 13 of them had a mental orientation because the ratio of mental references to their mothers to the total number of references was 50% or higher. The other 12 children did not have a mental orientation because the ratio of mental references to the total number of references was below 50%. It was concluded that 52% of the children in the research group exhibited mental orientation. Additionally, it was determined that 5 of the 13 children assessed as mentally oriented also had mentally oriented mothers. These findings reveal that mental orientation is limited in children in early childhood and that parents' mentally oriented approach does not always manifest itself in children to the same extent. The negative relationship scores of mentally oriented children with their parents range from 9 to 14. This suggests that mental orientation may be supported in children whose mothers do not evaluate the mother-child relationship negatively. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended to enrich parent-child interaction, support children's language and social skills to more accurately assess their mental orientation, and inform teachers and caregivers about mental orientation.