scholarly journals Parent-Child Dyads with Greater Parenting Stress Exhibit Enhanced Inter-Brain Synchrony During Shared Play

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiqah Azhari ◽  
Andrea Bizzego ◽  
Gianluca Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Fixed Length ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Parent-child dyads who are mutually attuned to each other during social interactions display interpersonal synchrony that can be observed overtly, in the form of joint behaviours, and biologically, such as through the temporal coordination of brain signals called inter-brain synchrony. Joint play provides ample opportunities for parent-child dyads to engage in matching interactions which not just facilitate the formation of bonds but also alleviate parenting stress in caregivers. Despite the beneficial effects of play on parents and the parent-child relationship, no study has investigated the dyadic neural mechanism by which this occurs. The present functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) study aimed to examine the association between parenting stress and inter-brain synchrony in the prefrontal cortex of 31 mother-child and 29 father-child dyads while they engaged in shared play for 10 minutes. Shared play was miro-analytically coded into joint (i.e., in-phase matching of dyadic behaviours) and non-joint (i.e., no matching of dyadic behaviours) segments. Inter-brain synchrony was computed using cross-correlations over 15 s, 20 s, 25 s, 30 s and 35 s fixed-length windows of joint and non-joint play segments. Analyses of Covariance revealed that dyads with more parenting stress exhibited greater inter-brain synchrony in the frontal left cluster of the prefrontal cortex, but only for the 35 s fixed-length window. This finding suggests that continuous and positive instances of joint play may disproportionately benefit dyads who reported greater parenting stress, entraining underlying brain activation patterns involved in social cognition. Mother-child dyads also showed greater inter-brain synchrony than father-child dyads, alluding to possible gender differences in the effect of play on dyads. Findings present evidence of a potential dyadic neural pathway by which play benefits the parent-child relationship.

scholarly journals Mediating effect of the parent-child relationship on the association between parenting stress and children’s eating behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myoungock Jang ◽  
Roger Brown ◽  
Moonkyoung Park
Keyword(s):  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Limit Setting ◽  
Mediating Factors ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Background Emerging evidence suggests that parenting stress plays a significant role in children’s eating behavior. However, the nature of the relationship between parenting stress and children’s health behaviors is still not well understood, possibly because there is limited understanding of the mediating factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of the parent–child relationship on the association between parenting stress and children’s eating behaviors in families with young children. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, we recruited mothers of families with children aged four to six years in the United States. We asked the mothers select one child if she has more than one eligible child. Mothers answered well-validated questionnaires regarding parenting stress, the parent–child relationship, and children’s eating behaviors. We utilized a structural equation model to analyze the mediating factors. Results A total of 172 mothers of children participated in this study. The children’s mean age was 4.92 (SD 0.89) years; 50% of children were female and 71.2% were non-Hispanic Whites. Parenting stress was associated with subcategories of the parent–child relationship (satisfaction with parenting [b* = − 0.69, p < .01], communication [b* = 0.45, p < 0.01], and limit setting [b* = − 0.82, p < .01]). The subcategories of communication and limit setting were negatively associated with food responsiveness in children (b* = − 0.24, p < .01; b* = − 0.46, p < .01, respectively). Limit setting was negatively associated with emotional overeating in children (b* = − 0.49, p < .01). Communication mediated the association between parenting stress and food responsiveness in children (b* = − 0.11, p < .01). The mediating role of limit setting was established in the association between parenting stress and food responsiveness as well as in the association between parenting stress and emotional overeating (b* = 0.38, p < .01; b* = 0.40, p < .01, respectively). Conclusions The parent–child relationship is an important component in improving children’s eating behaviors in families that have parents with higher parenting stress levels.

Mutually Responsive Orientation Between Mothers and Their Young Children: A Context for the Early Development of Conscience

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazyna Kochanska
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Parental Influence ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Early School ◽  
Early Parent ◽  
Parent Child

Some parent–child dyads establish a mutually responsive orientation (MRO), a relationship that is close, mutually binding, cooperative, and affectively positive. Such relationships have two main characteristics—mutual responsiveness and shared positive affect—and they foster the development of conscience in young children. Children growing up with parents who are responsive to their needs and whose interactions are infused with happy emotions adopt a willing, responsive stance toward parental influence and become eager to embrace parental values and standards for behavior. The concurrent and longitudinal beneficial effects of MRO for early development of conscience have been replicated across studies, for a broad range of developmental periods from infancy through early school age, and using a wide variety of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive measures of conscience in the laboratory, at home, and in school. These findings highlight the importance of the early parent–child relationship for subsequent moral development.

scholarly journals Mediating Effects of Parental Stress on Harsh Parenting And Parent-child Relationship During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in Singapore.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Chung ◽  
Paul Lanier ◽  
Peace Wong Yuh Ju
Keyword(s):  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Harsh Parenting ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Relationship Closeness ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Parent Child

Purpose: Because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “Circuit-breaker” safety distancing was implemented in Singapore from April to May 2020. Schools and workplaces were closed and parents had to balance telecommuting with parenting responsibilities. Coupled with the high degree of economic uncertainty and reduced social support, these circumstances are hypothesized to increase parenting stress. Based on the Parental Stress Model, this study aims to understand how parents’ perceived impact of COVID-19 increased harsh parenting and reduced parent-child relationship closeness through the mediating effects of parenting stress. Method: We collected data from 258 parents living in Singapore using online surveys disseminated through Facebook and community organizations. Our predictor was the perceived impact of COVID-19. Parental stress (mediator) was measured with the Parental Stress Scale. Two outcomes were used: parent-child relationship closeness and harsh parenting (spanking, yelling). Using mediation analysis in the SEM framework, we tested the indirect effects using bias- corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. Results: Our results indicated that parenting stress was a significant mediator in the relationship between the perceived impact of COVID-19 and (a) parent-child closeness (indirect effect = -.30, Bootstrap 99% CI[-.59, -.11]) and (b) harsh parenting (indirect effect = .58, Bootstrap 99% CI[.25, .94]). Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 and stay-home orders can increase parenting stress. This, in turn, has a negative impact on parenting by affecting parents’ relationship with their children and increasing the use of harsh parenting. Given that these are risk factors for potential child abuse, supporting parents and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 are important.

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