A major reason why parenting styles difer according to socioeconomic status is that families tend to adapt their interactional patterns to the level of stress they are experiencing. All families experience stress, such as work problems, health problems, and relationship problems. However, parents with low incomes may have other stressors related to poverty (housing, unsafe neighborhoods, job turnover) that influence their well-being, the tone of their marriage, and the quality of their relationship with their chi