How Parents' Behavior Affects Kids' School Stress
Parents play a significant role in shaping their children's stress levels related to school. A recent study explored how maternal and paternal behaviors influence physical exhaustion from schoolwork among middle school students.
Key Findings
- Consistency Matters: When both parents are aligned in their approach, children experience less stress.
- Contradiction Increases Stress: When one parent is strict and the other is lenient, children feel more exhausted.
Family Systems Theory
The study applied family systems theory, which posits that families operate as a system where one member's actions impact the whole. Researchers discovered:
- Mutual Psychological Control: When both parents exert psychological control, children feel more stressed.
- Inconsistent Control: When only one parent is controlling, the stress on children is even greater.
Gender Dynamics in Parenting
The study revealed that the gender of the controlling parent matters:
- Father's Influence: Children felt more exhausted when their father was strict and their mother was not.
- Mother's Influence: The same dynamic was less impactful when the mother was strict and the father was not.
Methodology
- Sample Size: 202 middle school students.
- Analysis Technique: Polynomial regressions were used to examine relationships between variables.
Conclusion
The study underscores the importance of parental unity in reducing children's stress. When parents collaborate and maintain consistency, children experience lower levels of exhaustion. Conversely, inconsistency between parents exacerbates stress, highlighting the critical role both parents play in their children's well-being.
