Children's Early Disruptive Behavior Predicts Later Coercive Behavior and Binge Drinking by Mothers

Abstract

PurposeWe examined the prospective influence of early child problematic behavior on later coercive interactions and binge drinking by mothers. Design and methodsCanadian participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, born between spring 1997 and 1998, which allowed a longitudinal birth cohort design. At the 41months, 628 parents reported on children's oppositional, aggressive, turbulent, and inattentive/hyperactive behavior. Mothers then reported on their own coercive and binge drinking behavior at the 60month follow-up. ResultsWe estimated a series of ordinary least-squares regressions to examine the relationship between early child behavior problems and later parental coercion and binge drinking, above and beyond many key pre-existing/concurrent confounding factors including prior parenting stress and binge alcohol use. Oppositional, aggressive, and turbulent child behaviors at 41months predicted harsh, negative parenting at 60months. Early inattentive/hyperactive child behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers within the same time frame. ConclusionNegative preschool behavior predicted harsh, negative maternal behavior kindergarten entry. Early inattentive/hyperactive behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers. Coercive parenting and alcohol use are clinically signs of adult distress. Such parents might use alcohol excessively because of its perceived stress-dampening effects and mental evasion from their life difficulties and frustration experiences. Practice implicationsProblematic preschool behavior can lead to less effective child-rearing and unhealthy parental behavior. Such at-risk mothers would benefit from professional caring practices. Practitioners can inspire change, especially using interaction interventions which encourage positive parent-child relations that, in turn, diminish parental distress.