Children that act impulsively are often labeled as problem children that will likely continue with their impulsiveness later in life, specifically in regards to alcohol consumption. However, a study published in Development and Psychopathology challenges this theory, stating that some impulsive children will consume less alcohol than others in teenage years, depending on their mother’s coercive parenting.

Researchers on the study from the CHU Sainte-Justine Mother-child Research Hospital and University of Montreal studied 209 children born in the years 1996 and 1997. When the children turned six, their mothers answered surveys on the impulsiveness levels of the children and how the parent handled in. The parents were asked if they used coercive techniques such as screaming, hitting and shaking. The children were then evaluated again when they turned 15 in regard to their alcohol consumption.

It was found that when mothers disciplined their children more frequently, the children then had higher levels of alcohol consumption in teenage years. The children who acted impulsively but were not disciplined as frequently had lower levels alcohol consumption. The researchers then confirmed these findings with other similar studies.

These findings are interesting because many believe when a child acts impulsively and cause problems, the behavior will continue later in life. More research is needed on the impact of parent practices to see exactly how much this influences levels of alcohol consumption.