Associations among mothers’ representations of their relationship with their toddlers, maternal parenting stress, and toddlers’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors

•Parenting stress is associated with toddlers’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors.•Criticism and low coherence in mothers’ narratives are related to toddlers’ externalizing behaviors•Low coherence in mothers’ narratives is related to toddlers’ internalizing behaviors.