Research Symposium

BIO

Megan Knobloch is a first generation sophomore studying Biochemistry on the pre-medical track at Florida State University. She aspires to become a cardiologist and is actively involved in several campus organizations, including the American Medical Women's Association, CARE, Unconquered Scholars, and Alpha Chi Sigma, where she is a brother of the professional chemistry fraternity. Her academic research includes the relationship between parental interactions with children in high stress families and the advancement of women's health. Through her studies, Megan is committed to pursuing a career in medicine while advocating for patient-centered care.

Momentary Effects of Parental Stress on Parenting and Children's Self-Regulation

Abstract

Parental stress plays a critical role in shaping parenting behaviors and children’s self-regulation. However, most prior studies have relied on cross-sectional designs and overlooked how everyday, temporary stressors influence parents and children, particularly within higher-risk families. To address this gap and inform prevention efforts, we examined how temporary fluctuations in parental stress shaped parents’ immediate interactions with their preschool-aged children and children’s momentary self-regulation. This work aims to support the development of targeted, evidence-based interventions to buffer families from the adverse consequences of daily stress. We hypothesized that greater parental stress would be negatively associated with parenting behaviors and children’s self-regulation. Participants were 15 mother-child dyads from higher-risk families in Florida with children aged 2.5 to 3.5 years. Mothers completed an initial survey, followed by brief ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys three times daily (morning, afternoon, evening) for 21 days. EMA surveys assessed parental stress, parenting behaviors (i.e., how well they were getting along with their child), and children’s self-regulation of emotion, behavior, and attention. Multilevel models revealed negative within-dyad associations between parental stress and both parenting behaviors and children’s self-regulation (ps < .05). At moments when parents experienced higher-than-usual stress, they were less likely to report getting along well with their child and more likely to report difficulties in their child’s self-regulation. These findings highlight the dynamic, interrelated nature of parental stress, parenting behaviors, and children’s self-regulation in daily life, suggesting that family-system approaches designed to buffer families from everyday stress may be especially beneficial for higher-risk families.

Keywords: Stress and Children's Self-Regulation