Play and leisure increase the emotional health of children of trauma-exposed mothers

By Dave DeFusco

A Katz School study has found that while a mother’s traumatic experiences can hinder her child’s psychological development, strong family relationships and participation in play and leisure activities can help mitigate these negative effects.

Published in Journal of Child and Family Studies, the study“Children’s Play and Leisure Enjoyment: The Impact of Maternal Traumatic Events” illuminates the complicated relationships between trauma, family dynamics, and the role of children’s play in buffering the negative effects of parenting following maternal trauma.

“Responsive and empathetic parenting has long been recognized as a protective factor for children and adolescents, promoting psychological well-being and healthy emotional regulation,” said Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi, senior author of the article and clinical associate professor at the Katz School Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

According to the results, children whose mothers reported trauma and poor family relationships showed fewer emotional and social difficulties when they were actively involved in play and leisure activities. This suggests that play gives children the mental space to process negative emotions and develop social skills, even when their home environment may be emotionally challenging.

“Family relationships are fundamental to a child’s psychological adjustment, with attentive and caring care promoting safety and well-being,” said Dr. Ricky Finzi-Dottan, co-author of the study and professor at the Bar-Ilan University School of Social Work. “Our study found that negative parenting practices, such as maternal rejection, are strongly associated with poorer emotional outcomes in children, particularly in families affected by trauma.”

While family dynamics are crucial, the study found that family relationships had no influence on the relationship between maternal rejection and children’s psychological adjustment. Instead, it was children’s participation in play and leisure activities that acted as a buffer against the negative effects of maternal rejection.

Trauma limits the emotional resources needed for effective stress management and parenting and can potentially lead to maladaptive parenting behaviors such as unresponsiveness or child rejection. Mothers exposed to trauma often have difficulty interacting positively with their children and may misinterpret or perceive more negatively their children’s behavior, which directly impacts their parenting practices. This study, which involved 99 mothers and their children ages 6 to 12, highlights that these effects are most pronounced during the transition from early to middle childhood, a critical period in a child’s psychological development.

While the detrimental effects of maternal trauma on children’s emotional health are well documented, the study goes further to suggest that participation in play and leisure activities such as sports or social interactions may help reduce the negative effects of poor parenting due to trauma to balance.

The timing of the study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, may have influenced the nature of children’s play and leisure activities. Social distancing and other pandemic-related restrictions led to children spending more time on individual or indoor activities such as video games or board games. This shift may have given children the opportunity to regulate their emotions through imaginative or symbolic play, despite limitations in social interactions.

“This study provides important insights into the complex interplay of trauma, parenting and child development and highlights the need for holistic approaches to supporting parents and children in the face of adversity,” said Dr. Sara Chiara Haden, co-author of the study paper and associate professor of psychology at Long Island University.