[THE HUFFINGTON POST]
Honoring your mother and father may be on the Top 10 list of commandments, but most parents can tell you that there are times when raising a child can try their souls.
What has been less known is how faith relates to parental stress.
Do religious teachings set up impossibly high standards that increase parental guilt? Or does the idea that God stands with them in times of both joy and anxiety reduce stress and lead to increased parental satisfaction?
The answer is a little of both. But new research suggests that there is a positive relation between some faith practices and beliefs and being a happier mom or dad.
“Generally speaking, religiosity is a modestly positive influence on parenting attitudes,” suggests one study that looked at parental stress and satisfaction in relation to such factors as religious attendance, prayer and the importance of religion in the lives of mothers and fathers.