Can infants pick up on negative parenting? A study suggests they can

According to Livescience.com, a recent study on child behavior suggests that negative parenting towards infants produces aggressive and defiant kindergarteners. The article also states that a child’s behavior at 5 is highly indicative of his adult behavior.

While it’s pretty obvious that children go trait shopping in their mother’s behavioral closet, I think the study is incredibly valuable.

The take-away here is to nip aggressive behavior in the bud. Hostile parents produce hostile children, who later become hostile parents that raise, yes you guessed it, hostile children. It’s a cycle that needs to end.

Though a mother’s negative parenting style can be attributed to many factors such as emotional stress, financial worries, relationship problems, etc., it’s important they understand that it affects a child’s behavioral development. It’s not easy being a parent but mothers must learn to seek help if they can’t break away from negative parenting.

Here are 2 parenting tips to help moms cope with external stressors for a more positive parenting style:

• Talk it out. Support groups and professionals can help mothers on various parenting issues. However, if the latter is too costly, share feelings with a spouse, friend or parent instead.
• Walk away from chaos. Everyone needs a break, including mothers. When children and other responsibilities become overwhelming, run to another room to scream, cry or whatever helps release negative emotions.

Remember, happy moms make happy children.

Photo: Creative Commons from aarongilson

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