The impact of paternal parenting stress on father-child interactions and child behaviour: an investigation of play

Parent-child interactions have been shown to be different for mothers and fathers, with fathers spending more of their available time with their children engaging in play activities. Particularly, Rough and Tumble Play (RTP), which has been shown to have positive associations with healthy child development. Given the links between maternal parenting stress and compromised interactions with children, it is possible that paternal parenting stress may impact the father-child RTP interaction. Furthermore, due to the associations between maternal parenting stress and child behaviour problems, it is also possible that paternal parenting stress may impact child behaviour problems. This study investigated the associations between paternal stress, RTP and child behaviour problems in 65 toddlers aged 18-24 months. Results demonstrated that paternal parenting stress is associated with increased reports of child behaviour problems, however the association with RTP remains unclear. The implications for this study, including interventions for paternal parenting stress are discussed.