Harder parenting can lead to stronger parent-child relationships
February 27, 2026
A survey of more than 24,000 parents across the United States found that enforcing household rules consistently increased parental stress, while also being associated with warmer and more positive parent–child relationships.
The research, published by the Institute for Family Studies, examined how family structure, finances, community support and parenting choices affect how difficult parents perceive raising children to be.
