A recent study conducted by researchers at Penn State, including doctoral student Jianing Sun and Professor of Psychology Erika Lunkenheimer, highlights the detrimental effects of harsh parenting on children's stress regulation. Published in the journal Child Development, the study examined 129 mother-child pairs over two years, focusing on how parenting styles affect children's emotional development. It found that children subjected to aggressive parenting techniques, such as yelling or spanking, may struggle to manage stress independently as they grow older. The study's findings indicate that when mothers maintain a calm demeanor, their children are more likely to learn effective self-regulation techniques. Conversely, children of harsher parents tend to remain stressed longer and require more external assistance to calm down. This ongoing dependency can lead to long-term issues with stress management and self-control. Lunkenheimer emphasizes the importance of parental self-regulation, suggesting that parents take a moment to breathe and stabilize their emotions before responding to their children. Such practices could foster better emotional outcomes for children, underscoring the need for nurturing and sensitive parenting approaches.