The vicious cycle: The bidirectional influence between maternal parenting stress and mother-child relationships

The parent-child relationship plays a crucial role in children's socio-emotional development, while maternal parenting stress significantly affects parenting behaviors and the quality of parent-child interactions. However, the potential bidirectional relationship between maternal parenting stress and the parent-child relationship has yet to be empirically confirmed.

This study employed a cross-lagged model to analyze the bidirectional relationship between maternal parenting stress and the parent-child relationship. Between June 2022 and June 2023, surveys were conducted at six-month intervals, resulting in a total of three rounds. The study involved 194 mother-child pairs from Shanghai, China.

The cross-lagged analysis revealed a significant bidirectional relationship between maternal parenting stress and the parent-child relationship. Maternal parenting stress at Time 1 negatively predicted the parent-child relationship at Time 2, and a similar pattern was observed between Time 2 and Time 3. Likewise, a poorer parent-child relationship at Time 1 significantly predicted higher maternal parenting stress at Time 2, with consistent findings across all three waves. These results support the hypothesis of mutual influence between maternal stress and the parent-child relationship over time.

This study highlights the dynamic and reciprocal nature of the relationship between maternal parenting stress and the parent-child relationship. Excessive maternal stress leads to a deterioration in the parent-child relationship, while a poor parent-child relationship further exacerbates maternal stress, creating a vicious cycle. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions that address both maternal stress management and the enhancement of parent-child interaction quality to foster healthier family dynamics and promote child development.