Parenting stress among dual-earner mothers and fathers: Are there gender differences?

Abstract

Stress in the parenting role has been found to be related to family functioning and parenting behavior. However, most research in this area has been conducted with clinical samples and has not compared parenting stress of mothers and fathers. In this study, 589 married couples with young children (12 to 60 months old) completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (Abidin, 1990) and measures of child-rearing behaviors and attitudes, social support, and child behavior. The validity of Abidin's measure and theoretical model was tested, and results were mixed. Small effects were found for mothers and fathers, and these were moderated by child age and marital happiness. Stress as a normal consequence of parenting is discussed.

Improving Psychosocial Health, Coping, and Self-Efficacy in Parents of Sleep-Disturbed Young Children

“…Long-term observations even demonstrate that perceived social support is a protective factor that prevents postnatal depression in mothers [70]. Furthermore, emotional support provided by relatives [71] and emotional or instrumental support provided by spouses [72] are associated with less parenting stress. Moreover, maternal fatigue is positively associated with the need for more social support, but negatively associated with the satisfaction with social support [12].…”

Parenting stress in early motherhood: stress spillover and social support1

“…Although some stress is considered a normative or even an inevitable part of raising children ( Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996 ), high parenting stress appears to be deleterious for both mother and child. Stress in the parenting domain is associated with insecure child attachment ( Holden & Banez, 1996 ), excessively punitive parenting ( Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996 ), and decreased parental involvement ( Adamakos, Ryan, Ullman, Pascoe, Diaz, & Chessare, 1986 ). Even modest elevations in parenting stress are associated with diminished family functioning and increased child behavior problems ( Crnic & Greenberg, 1990 ).…”

“…Parenting stress is a broad construct, and encompasses negative parenting experiences ranging from exasperation with a child's behavior and unhappiness with parent-child interactions to a desire for fewer parental responsibilities and feelings of incompetence ( Deater-Deckard, 1998 ). Although some stress is considered a normative or even an inevitable part of raising children ( Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996 ), high parenting stress appears to be deleterious for both mother and child. Stress in the parenting domain is associated with insecure child attachment ( Holden & Banez, 1996 ), excessively punitive parenting ( Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996 ), and decreased parental involvement ( Adamakos, Ryan, Ullman, Pascoe, Diaz, & Chessare, 1986 ).…”

“…Demographic factors .-Some researchers have found that low income and limited education were associated with elevated parenting stress ( Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996 ). With respect to the direct eff ects of income and education on parenting stress, limited access to material resources may inhibit the resolution of some diffi culties encountered in childrearing, and the fi nancial burden of raising a child may be especially onerous for those with little money.…”

Does ‘Wanting the Best’ create more stress? The link between baby sign classes and maternal anxiety

“…This in turn could result in mothers perceiving themselves as more able, thereby reducing stress (Deater-Deckard & Scarr, 1996). However, the question of whether this means of communicating affects the parental experience by, for example, making it less stressful, remains unanswered.…”