Maternal ratings of child temperament and observed maternal behaviors in the home were collected when children were 18 months old. Both variables were examined as predictors of mothers’ problem-solving behaviors with their toddlers at 30 months and of the children’s independent problem solving at 5 years. Maternal instructional behavior in the home at 18 months and maternal ratings of temperament at 18 months predicted maternal behaviors when the children were 30 months old and child performance on a cognitive problem-solving task. Maternal cognitive assistance during the 18- and 30-month tasks also predicted child cognitive task performance in the laboratory at 5 years. These same maternal behaviors were related to the child’s performance on the WPPSI at age 5. Lack of maternal assistance was related to teacher ratings of learning problems at age 5.