Marital Tension Between Parents can Disrupt the Family-Bond

Much of a child's growth and development will stem from interactions with family members. A new study published in the Journal of Family Psychology examines how a difficult relationship between mom and dad can greatly alter the parental bond.

For the study, researchers at Southern Methodist University in Dallas obtained data from 203 families based on complete daily diary entries for 15 days. Both were asked to rate the quality of their marriage and their relationship with their child at the end of each day.

Researchers discovered that when parents reported higher tension levels or conflict in their marriage, the interaction with their child, during that time, was also greatly stifled. This was more commonly experienced in fathers, who pushed greater amounts of stress onto relationships in family life.

Furthermore, researchers found that in situations where the quality of married life was low, overall, moms were more likely to compartmentalize issues than fathers.

"In fact, in that situation, moms appeared to compensate for their marital tension," said lead study author psychologist Chrystyna D. Kouros, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, in a news release . "Poor marital quality actually predicted an improvement in the relationship between the mom and the child. So, the first day's adverse spillover is short lived for moms."

However, this was not true for fathers.

"In families where the mom was showing signs of depression, dads on the other hand let the marital tension spill over, with the result being poorer interactions with their child, even on the next day."

Researchers stressed the critical need to treat issues between parents quickly and effectively. Afterall, a couple's marriage can drastically affect their child's happiness, development and future life.