Children's coping self-statements, levels of anxiety, degree of behavioral adjustment, as well as levels of maternal state anxiety and parenting style, and demographic variables were used to predict the reactions of 61 children to elective day surgery. Results indicated that elective day surgery was not psychologically traumatic for most children. However, the use of negative self-statements and both low and high maternal anxiety were found to be related to increased anxiety of the children experiencing elective day surgery. J Dev Behav Pediatr 11:13-16, 1990.