Parenting more stressful than expected
Parenting is a far harder job than expected, say parents surveyed by the US-based Pew Research Center. The study, released in January for which 3,757 parents were interviewed, reports that while eight of ten parents believe parenting is enjoyable most of the time, 62 percent said it was far harder than they thought. But regardless of how hard it is, most parents (64 percent) gave themselves an “excellent” or “very good” rating when it came to assessing their parenting skills with only 4 percent self-assessed as “fair” or “poor.”

The Pew parenting study also reveals that mothers are more stressed because of societal expectations to balance work and parenting duties. They were more likely than male parents to say that being a parent is stressful and tiring all or most of the time. Mothers said they do more than their spouses or partners to manage child-care responsibilities and are more likely than fathers to report feeling judged by relatives, friends and other parents in their communities.

Moreover, the study found that parents worry about their children for a variety of reasons, with fears about mental health topping the list.

Parents using digital devices to unwind, show poor parenting
Parents who use digital gadgets/screens to unwind, experience more psychological stress and report poor parenting behaviour such as yelling, nagging, and saying hurtful things to their children, reveals a recent study conducted by University of Waterloo, Canada.

Researchers interviewed 549 parents with at least two children between ages five and 18 years. “When kids are showing difficult behaviour, parents often use technology to withdraw. And when you’re absorbed in media, you might have stronger, less patient reactions to your children,” says Jasmine Zhang, lead study author and a graduate student researcher at the University of Waterloo.

According to Zhang, such parents are also more likely to “retreat” rather than engage with their children. “If you’re absorbed in your phone, you’re more likely to shy away when a child is throwing a tantrum rather than addressing the situation,” adds Zhang.

However not all technology consumption is connected with bad parenting. For instance the study found that using media to maintain social connections — for example by texting, video chatting, and emailing friends — is linked with good parenting. It can cheer your child when she’s sad.

Inadequate sleep in adolescence linked to multiple sclerosis
Adolescents who sleep less are at higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis, says a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (January). Conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, the study examined 2,075 adults with multiple sclerosis and 3,164 others (control group). Researchers asked participants about the quality and duration of sleep during their teenage years. They divided sleep duration into three categories: less than seven hours per night (short sleep), seven-nine hours and ten or more hours (long sleep).

The researchers discovered that sleeping less than seven hours at night during adolescence was associated with increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. “We found that sleeping too little or experiencing poor quality sleep as a teen increased the risk of developing MS as adults, by up to 50 percent,” says Dr. Anna Karin Hedström, study author and a senior research specialist at the Karolinska Institute.

Happy adolescents have better cardiovascular health
Teenage children who are happy, optimistic with high levels of self-esteem, belongingness and love, are more likely to enjoy cardiometabolic good health as young adults (20s and 30s) compared to those with fewer of these positive psychological assets, says a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (January).

Researchers led by Farah Qureshi, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, identified five mental health assets associated with better cardiometabolic health outcomes based on survey responses when participants were teenagers — optimism, happiness, self-esteem, belonging, and feeling loved. Teens with four to five positive mental health assets were 69 percent more likely to maintain positive cardiometabolic health as young adults. “Early investments in youth mental health may be an important new frontier in cardiovascular diseases prevention and advancement of health equity,” says Qureshi.