["European Journal of Education, Volume 61, Issue 2, June 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nWhile family foreign language planning (FFLP) is increasingly common in contexts like China, its socioemotional consequences for children remain underexplored. Drawing on interviews and written protocols from six Chinese families, this study investigates how children's learning emotions mediate the relationship between FFLP and socioemotional development. Thematic analysis reveals three distinct pathways: (1) directive FFLP mediated by anticipatory anxiety, fostering regulated self‐management; (2) directive FFLP mediated by oppositional joy, enabling assertive autonomy; and (3) responsive FFLP mediated by sustained positive engagement, supporting holistic growth in social–emotional competencies and psychological well‐being. Critically, outcomes depend not on planning style alone, but on children's emotional interpretation of parental practices. The study reconceptualises FFLP as an affective ecology and highlights emotion as the central mechanism through which language planning shapes well‐being, calling for child‐centred approaches in both parenting and educational policy.\n"]