recent studies have shown that secondhand stress persists. For example, when parents are anxious about math, their kids are more likely to be anxious about math, too, but only if the anxious parents often help with the homework.7 In other words, if you have math anxiety, your kid is probably better off if you don’t offer your help. It works the other way, too. When your kid is upset, your amygdala reacts, which makes it even harder to be calm. This is why so many parents find themselves, ironically and often comically, angrily yelling at their kids for losing their temper.
