As more families struggle to make ends meet—wondering how to cover rent, keep the lights on or put food on the table—the stress doesn’t stop at the household budget.
The strain can ripple through the home, affecting parents’ emotional well-being and how they work together, which in turn can shape how their children connect, communicate and thrive with others.
A new study—which involved researchers from the University of Michigan, Ohio State University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology—sheds light on how financial stress experienced by parents can shape a child’s social development years later.
The team analyzed data from more than 3,000 families, following children from ages 3 to 9 from the Future of Family and Child Wellbeing Study. These kids were born in 20 large U.S. cities. The data focused on the parents’ financial history, mental health and co-parenting efforts, as well as kids’ social skills, such as being able to make friends easily or feeling confident in social situations like parties or group outings.
Mothers who experienced greater material hardship were more likely to report symptoms of depression and lower-quality co-parenting relationships when their children were 5 years old, the study indicated. These factors, in turn, predicted poorer social skills in children by age 9.
The study also found that mothers’ and fathers’ experiences of hardship and co-parenting were interdependent—what affects one parent often affects the other.
“Financial stress doesn’t just show up in the bills—it shows up in family life,” said study co-author Kathryn Maguire-Jack, U-M professor of social work whose research includes child abuse/neglect, poverty and parenting.
“When parents are stretched thin trying to meet basic needs, it can take a real emotional toll. That stress can quietly shape how parents interact and, ultimately, how children learn to connect with the world around them.”
Fathers who faced greater hardship were sometimes perceived by mothers as more supportive co-parents, the study showed.
“In the absence of financial stability, some fathers may compensate by offering greater emotional and relational support, reinforcing the idea that being emotionally present can carry real weight in challenging times,” Maguire-Jack said.
As it relates to paternal depression, fathers at times had poor co-parenting relationships, which the study’s authors say likely reflected traditional gender roles in caregiving and breadwinning.
The researchers say the results highlight the importance of supporting both parents—emotionally and financially—to foster healthier family dynamics and better developmental outcomes for children.
The study’s authors also include Yiran Zhang, Susan Yoon, Juan Lorenzo Benavides and Yujeong Chang of OSU; and Jingyi Wang of Hong Kong University.
The findings appeared in the latest issue of Family Relations.
More information:
Yiran Zhang et al, The effect of material hardship on child social skills via parental depression and coparenting, Family Relations (2025). DOI: 10.1111/fare.70046
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