Parenting under pressure: stress is associated with mothers’ and fathers’ media parenting practices in Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Stress may influence the parenting practices employed by parents to manage their children’s screen-time. The objective of this study was to examine cross-sectional associations between family stress and media parenting practices. Using the Guelph Family Health Study Pilot 2 cohort, data was collected from 64 parents from 39 families. Linear regression using generalized estimating equations was used to examine associations between family-based stress and screen parenting practices, stratified by mothers and fathers. Models were adjusted for household income, the number of children in the family, child sex, and age. General stress was positively associated with mothers’ use of screen-based devices in front of their child(ren) and negatively associated with mothers’ monitoring and limit-setting. Fathers’ general stress was positively associated with limit-setting. Parenting distress was positively associated with mothers’ modeling screen use. Fathers’ parenting distress was negatively associated with limit-setting and positively associated with mealtime screen use. Household chaos was positively associated with monitoring screen-time for both mothers and fathers and positively associated with fathers’ limit-setting. These results suggest that associations between family stress and media parenting practices differ among mothers and fathers. Programs aimed to reduce children’s screen-time should consider these differences in their messaging to parents.