Abstract
This study investigates the interrelationship between gender-shift in child-directed speech(CDS), child gender, and parenting styles among Arabic-speaking caregivers. A survey of180 Palestinian parents assessed their parenting styles and reported use of gender-shift inrelation to their child's gender. The findings reveal no significant correlation betweengender-shift and child's gender. However, a positive association exists between gender-shift and indulgence, a characteristic of permissive parenting, while a negative correlation isseen with autonomy granting, regulation, and warmth/support, central to authoritativeparenting. These results highlight the need for detailed analysis of parenting dimensionstowards deeper understanding of the role of gender-shift use in Arabic CDS, suggesting thatbroader parenting style categories might overlook crucial differences. The study emphasizesthe importance of culturally and linguistically sensitive, interprofessional approaches inlanguage development research, especially in relatively unexplored areas like CDS, whilealso acknowledging the complexities of exploring such relatively unexamined areas.