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This study focused on the nuanced phenomenon of gendered parenting by exploring how maternal son preference is associated with depressive symptoms among Chinese early adolescents. Focusing on 1093 junior high school students from a relatively affluent city in Western China, this study examined the mediating roles of mother–child attachment and father–child attachment as well as the moderating role of school connectedness in the relationship between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms. The results revealed a noteworthy positive correlation between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms among female adolescents, with no significant association observed in males. In addition, mother–child attachment and father–child attachment mediated the relationship between maternal son preference and girls’ depressive symptoms, supporting the “spillover effect” and “crossover effect”. Moreover, a moderation effect analysis indicated that a higher level of school connectedness can buffer the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms, while a lower level of school connectedness can enhance the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms. In addition, maternal son preference was negatively correlated with boys’ depressive symptoms in relation to high school connectedness. These insights help enhance people’s understanding of gendered parenting, emphasizing the enduring necessity of addressing son preference within the broader context of promoting gender equality. Full article