Does being an
intense mother make women unhappy? According to a new study by Kathryn Rizzo
and colleagues, from the University of Mary Washington in the US, women who
believe in intensive parenting - i.e., that women are better parents than men,
that mothering should be child-centred, and that children should be considered
sacred and are fulfilling to parents - are more likely to have negative mental
health outcomes. The work is published online in Springer's Journal of Child
and Family Studies.
Parenting can be quite challenging and requires
wide-ranging skills and expertise - a big task. Many women idealize parenthood
as one of the most fulfilling experiences in life. However, some research
suggests that parenting may be detrimental to mental health. For example, women
have reported that taking care of their children is more stressful than being
at work. There have also been suggestions that intensive parenting can result
in increased stress and guilt,
particularly for women. This discrepancy is known
as the parenthood paradox.
Rizzo and team looked at whether intensive parenting in
particular, rather than parenting per se, was linked to increased levels of
stress, depression and lower life satisfaction among
181 mothers of children under 5 years old. Using an online questionnaire, the
authors measured to what extent mothers endorsed intensive parenting beliefs:
mothers are the most necessary and capable parent; parents' happiness is
derived primarily from their children; parents should always provide their
children with stimulating activities that aid in their development; parenting
is more difficult than working; a parent should always sacrifice their needs for
the needs of the child.
Overall, the women were satisfied with their lives but
had moderate levels
of stress and depression. Approximately 23 percent had symptoms of
depression. Negative mental health outcomes were accounted for by women's
endorsement of intensive parenting attitudes. When the level of family support
was taken into account, those mothers who believed that women are the essential
parent were less satisfied with their lives; those who believed that parenting
is challenging were more stressed and depressed.
The authors conclude: "If intensive mothering is
related to so many negative mental health outcomes, why do women do it? They
may think that it makes them better mothers, so they are willing to sacrifice
their own mental health to enhance their children's cognitive, social and
emotional outcomes. In reality, intensive parenting may have the opposite effect
on children from what parents intend."
More information: Rizzo
KM, Schiffrin HH, Liss M (2012). Insight into the parenthood paradox: mental
health outcomes of intensive mothering. Journal of Child and Family
Studies; DOI 10.1007/s10826-012-9615-z
Provided by Springer
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