Household chaos and parenting: The effect of household chaos does not depend on sensory-processing sensitivity and self-regulation.

Previous studies have found evidence for a causal effect of household chaos on parenting and suggest that this effect may be stronger for parents with higher sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) or lower self-regulation. This study investigates whether primary caregivers of children around age 1.5-2 years show greater improvement in parenting after a decrease in household chaos if parents have higher SPS or lower self-regulation. The study employs a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with an intervention aimed at reducing household chaos. A total of 125 parents of toddlers participated in the study. All participants were living in the Netherlands at the time of the study, 89% identified with the Dutch ethnicity and 11% with a non-Dutch ethnicity. Self-report as well as objective measures were used, including videotaped parent-child interactions and home observations. The effect of the intervention on parenting did not depend on SPS or self-regulation. When studying the relation between change in measures of household chaos and posttest parenting, decreased self-reported household chaos was related to less harsh discipline in parents with higher self-regulation, and to more harsh discipline in parents with lower self-regulation. However, this is a tentative finding that should be further explored in future research.

Estudios anteriores han encontrado evidencia de un efecto casual del caos en el hogar sobre la crianza y sugieren que este efecto pudiera ser más fuerte para progenitores con una más alta sensibilidad del proceso sensorial (SPS) o más baja autorregulación. Este estudio investiga si quienes primariamente cuidan a los niños de alrededor de 1.5-2 años muestran un más alto nivel de mejoras en la crianza después de una disminución en el caos del hogar si los progenitores poseen un alto nivel de SPS o baja autorregulación. El estudio emplea un diseño RCT con una intervención dirigida a reducir el caos en el hogar. En el estudio participaron 125 progenitores de niños pequeñitos. Todos los participantes vivían en Holanda al momento del estudio, 89% se identificaba con la etnicidad holandesa y 11% con una etnicidad no holandesa. Se usaron auto reportes, así como medidas de objetivos, incluyendo interacciones entre progenitor y niño grabadas en video y observaciones en casa. El efecto de la intervención sobre la crianza no dependió de SPS o de la autorregulación. Cuando se estudiaba la relación entre el cambio en las medidas del caos en el hogar y la crianza posterior a la prueba, la disminución del auto reportado caos en el hogar se relacionó con menos disciplina dura en progenitores con más alta autorregulación, así como con más disciplina dura en progenitores con más baja autorregulación. Sin embargo, se trata de un resultado tentativo que se debe explorar más en la futura investigación.

Des études précédentes ont trouvé peu de preuves à un effet de cause du chaos domestique sur le parentage et suggèrent que cet effet pourrait être plus fort pour les parents avec une sensibilité du traitement sensoriel (STS) plus élevée et une auto-régulation plus faible. Cette étude évalue si les personnes prenant soin des enfants autour de l'âge de 1,5-2 ans font preuve d'une plus grande amélioration dans le parentage avec moins de chaos domestique si les parents ont une STS plus élevée ou une autorégulation plus basse. Cette étude a employé un plan ECR avec une intervention destinée à réduire le chaos domestique. 125 parents de jeunes enfants ont participé à l'étude. Tous les participants vivaient aux Pays Bas au moment de l'étude, 89% s'identifiant comme d'ethnicité hollandaise et 11% d'ethnicité non hollandaise. Des auto-évaluations ainsi que des mesures objectives ont été utilisées, en utilisant des interactions parent-enfant filmées à la vidéo et des observations à domicile. L'effet de l'intervention sur le parentage n'a pas dépendu de la STS ou de l'auto-régulation. En étudiant la relation entre le changement dans les mesures de chaos domestique et de parentage posttest, le chaos autosignalé décru à une discipline moins sévère chez les parents avec une autorégulation plus élevée, et à une discipline plus sévère chez les parents avec une autorégulation moins élevée. Cependant c'est une constatation tentative qui devrait être explorée plus profondément dans des recherches futures.

Preschool family irregularity and the development of sleep problems in childhood: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that poor family environments are related to more sleep problems; however, little is known about how family irregularity in early life affects the development of sleep problems over childhood using objective sleep measures. The current study tests the hypothesis that early family irregularity contributes to the development of sleep problems. METHODS: This population-based study comprises 5,443 children from the Generation R Study. Family irregularity was measured with seven maternal-reported questions on family routines when children were 2 and 4 years old. Mothers reported on sleep problems at child age 3, 6, and 10 years, whereas children completed questionnaires on sleep problems at age 10. Additionally, we used tri-axial wrist accelerometers for five nights in 851 children (mean age 11.7 years) to assess sleep objectively. RESULTS: Family irregularity was associated with more mother- and child-reported sleep problems at ages 3, 6, and 10 years as well as with a shorter sleep duration and later objective sleep onset, but not with sleep efficiency or waking time. The association between family irregularity and multi-informant subjective sleep problems at age 10 years was mediated by mother-reported child psychopathology at age 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show a long-term robust association of preschool family irregularity with more sleep problems during childhood as well as shorter sleep duration and later sleep onset as measured objectively with actigraphy. In part, these sleep problems were associated with family irregularity by way of child psychopathology. These findings suggest that interventions improving preschool family irregularity, which are targeted to reduce child psychopathology, may also impact the development of sleep problems beneficially.

The causal effect of household chaos on stress and caregiving: An experimental study.

The correlational nature of previous studies on household chaos does not allow claims about causal effects of household chaos. The present study used an experimental design to assess the causal effect of household chaos on stress, negative emotions, and caregiving. Ninety-six female students (18-25 years) participated in our study. They took care of an infant simulator in a normal living room (neutral condition), and a chaotic living room (chaos condition), while caregiver sensitivity was observed, operationalized as perceiving, correctly interpreting, and responding accurately and promptly to the infant's signals. Participants reported on their current emotional state, and saliva was collected four times for analysis of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). Results showed that there were no significant time or condition effects on negative emotional state. Yet, sAA levels were higher in the chaos condition compared to the neutral condition. We found no evidence for negative emotional state or sAA mediating the relation between household chaos and caregiver sensitivity. Because household chaos affected physiological stress in a parenting situation, it should not be ignored when using interventions aimed at reducing stress in parents. More research is needed on the effect of reduced (as opposed to increased) levels of household chaos on physiological stress levels in families with young children.

Does sensory-processing sensitivity moderate the effect of household chaos on caregiver sensitivity? An experimental design.

Previous research has linked higher levels of household chaos to parenting problems, but it is not clear whether household chaos actually causes parenting problems. In this study, we used an experimental design in which levels of household chaos were manipulated to test the effect of household chaos on caregiver sensitivity. As sensory-processing sensitivity has been linked to the perception of household chaos, we also tested whether household chaos has a stronger effect on participants with higher sensory-processing sensitivity. Ninety-six young adults (nonparents) visited our lab twice and took care of an infant simulator in a lab furnished like a living room. In the neutral condition the room was orderly and calm, and in the chaos condition it was cluttered, noisy and smaller (order counterbalanced). Caregiver sensitivity was observed, and sensory-processing sensitivity was measured through questionnaires and observational data. Multilevel modeling showed caregiver sensitivity decreased over time in both conditions and that condition had a small effect on caregiver sensitivity, with sensitivity being lower in the chaos condition. We found that participants with higher sensory sensitivity decreased faster in the chaos condition than in the neutral condition. According to our findings, household chaos leads to less positive caregiving behavior and parents with higher sensory sensitivity may be more affected by household chaos. Thus, reducing household chaos may be effective in promoting positive parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).