Stress and Fathers' Parental Competence: Implications for Family Life and Parent Educators

This study examines the relationship between the stress fathers are experiencing in their parental role and their perceived sense of competence in parenting skills. Data collected from 94 fathers revealed significant relationships between various parental stress factors and the fathers' perceptions of competence in parenting. Regression analyses suggest the fathers' sense of depression in their parental role and perceptions of their children's demandingness to be the best predictors of their perceived parental competence. Implications of the results for family life and parent educators are discussed.