A new study has shown the physical toll that parenting takes on adults – and it’s not limited to that pain in your back from playing ‘horsey’.
Researchers examined the psychological and physiological effects of parental empathy in 247 adults (all proponents of empathic parenting, which involves consistently validating a child’s emotions instead of labeling them ‘wrong’ or ‘silly’) and their adolescent children.
When both parents and children were tested, the study found that adolescents who received parental empathy had better emotion regulation and less systemic inflammation, which means better general health.
For parents however, being empathetic was associated with greater self-esteem and purpose in life, but also with higher systemic (also known as chronic) inflammation. Left unchecked, this type of inflammation can exacerbate underlying issues such as arthritis and depression. It could even lead to cancer and heart disease.
The takeaway? Parenting is hard work, make sure you put yourself and your health first once in a while so you’re up to the job.
