A major reason why parenting styles differ 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 children
economic hardship experienced by lower-class families is associated with anxiety, depression, and irritability. This emotional stress increases the tendency of parents to be punitive, inconsistent, authoritarian, and generally nonsupportive of their children. Such parenting techniques, such as commanding without explanation, require less time and efort than other methods, such as reasoning and negotiating. Expecting unquestioning obedience from children is more eficient than trying to meet the desires of all family members when one is experiencing stress