Examined relations of parents' reactions to first- through fourth-graders' negative emotions with children's social and emotional competence at school and the moderating role of children's dispositional emotionality. Found that problem-focused parental reactions related positively to socioemotional competence for boys but negatively for girls. Parental punitive/minimizing reactions were associated with low socioemotional competence. Found moderating effects for comforting parental reactions. (Author/KB)