Effects of daily stress at work on mothers' interactions with preschoolers.

Thirty mother-preschooler dyads were studied for 5 consecutive weekdays. In addition to daily maternal reports of job stressors and parent-child interaction, a subsaraple of 13 dyads was videotaped during the parent-child reunion at the end of each workday. Mothers were much more likely to respond to an increase in job stressors by withdrawing than by becoming more irritable. Both mothers and independent observers described mothers as more behaviorally and emotionally withdrawn (e.g., less speaking and fewer expressions of affection) on days when the mothers reported greater workloads or interpersonal stress at work. Job stressors may have their strongest impact on the daily parenting behavior of mothers who generally experience higher levels of emotional distress (depressed or anxious mood) and, in particular, mothers who report more Type A behaviors. Patterns of interaction between family members change from day to day, often in quite significant ways. For example, why is it that on some days a parent is more easily provoked to scold her or his child or is moved to greater compassion? Many theorists maintain that families are best understood within the context of their broader environments or ecologies (Belsky, Steinberg, Bronfenbrenner, 1989). This study focused on a parent's employment situation as one important aspect of a family's ecology that may influence day