This article attempts to justify gender differences found for the main factors that comprise emotional intelligence from the standpoint of the Mayer and Salovey Skill Model (1997). In order to do so, we carry out a review of the different emotional socialization patterns used by parents on the basis of their children's gender and look into their impact on the differential development of emotional competencies, comparing these with the findings of research conducted in the field of Emotional Intelligence. Results from this review and their implications are discussed, as well as necessary lines for future research.