<![CDATA[Emotional communication within the family plays a critical role in supporting children’s psychological well-being. However, expressions of affection are not always interpreted similarly by parents and children, creating emotional gaps within relationships. This study explored emotional gaps in affectionate communication within Minangkabau families from the simultaneous perspectives of parents, children, and teachers. Employing a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design, data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 parents, 6 primary school children, and 6 primary school teachers selected via purposive sampling, and analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed a distinct discrepancy between parental intentions and children’s emotional experiences. Parents tended to manifest affection through discipline, responsibility, and behavioral control, whereas children conceptualized affection through emotional presence, safety, attention, and warm communication. Limited emotional availability and dominant, anger-based parental responses prompted children to develop protective strategies, such as remaining silent, avoiding interaction, and seeking external emotional support. Teachers observed that these domestic dynamics subsequently affected children’s behavior, emotional well-being, and learning motivation within the school environment, highlighting emotional gaps as a cross-contextual relational phenomenon spanning both family and school systems. The novelty of this research lies in its multiperspective framework, which integrates the viewpoints of parents, children, and teachers to understand affectionate communication within the Minangkabau cultural context. Ultimately, these findings underscore the necessity of emotional presence in parenting and suggest a need for sensitive collaboration between families and schools, while providing an empirical foundation for culturally responsive family counseling and parenting education programs.]]>
