Citation

Nelson JA, Aguas AB, Katz JM. Fam. Process 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Family Process Institute, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/famp.12939

PMID

37705166

Abstract

Parent-centered emotion socialization beliefs that children should manage their emotions on their own without parent support may seem convenient for parents but may actually relate to greater parenting stress if this approach is incompatible with children's developmental needs. We explored relations between mothers' and fathers' parent-centered autonomy beliefs about children's emotions and their parenting stress, controlling for child behavior problems and parent education. We also examined whether these associations varied depending on child age. Participants included 142 mothers and 60 paired fathers with a 5- to 8-year-old child who completed survey measures on parenting and child behavior. The sample was primarily White (59%) or Hispanic (20%) and low (44%) to middle income (47%). Path analyses revealed significant actor effects, such that mothers and fathers who endorsed more parent-centered emotion socialization beliefs reported greater parenting stress. Partner effects showed that mothers also reported greater parenting stress when their partners endorsed more parent-centered emotion socialization beliefs. Child age did not moderate these associations.

FINDINGS are discussed in terms of developmentally appropriate parenting expectations, gender roles for family emotion work, and practical implications.

Language: en

Keywords

emotion socialization; fathers; mothers; parent centered; parenting stress