Parents play an influential role in children's emotional development. Numerous quantitative studies have examined the correlations between a "single" dimension of parents' emotion socialisation practices (e.g. parental emotion expression or attitudes) and children's emotional development. However, little attention has been paid to a "holistic view" of parents' role in children's emotional development. Drawing upon a cultural-historical theory, this study takes a holistic perspective for examining how parents create the conditions for children's emotional development in everyday family life. Data (n?=?61 hours of video observation and interviewing) collected from four families of preschool children in Australia suggest that parents' "perezhivanie" supports the development of children's emotion regulation. It is argued that "perezhivanie" must be conceptualised as a "collective unity" of affect, intellect, and act that reflects both the subject and the environment in researching children's emotional development. Practical suggestions for supporting the pedagogical practices of families and for framing professional training programmes are also provided.