Introduction Shift work and rotational shift schedule interrupt interaction of the parents with their children. Nurses, midwives, enrolled nurses, nurse’s aid are obliged to have shift work. We assessed the effect of shift working of the shift workers on strengths and behavioral problems of their children, aged 7–12 years in nursing school of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Methods 489 shift workers drawn from private and university hospitals in Tehran city were selected along with their children’s teachers. Data were collected by using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), specific to parents and teachers including scales of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behaviors.

Results No significant relationships were found between parents’ shift with strengths and difficulties problems of their children based on their self-reported questionnaire. But it was revealed that some of demographic factors have significant correlations with the scales such as number of children and their gender with conduct problems, parents educational level, gender, their shift work schedule, history of physical/psychiatric diseases of children with emotional symptoms and parents’ educational degree with hyperactivity/inattention, parents’ gender.

Conclusion The study didn’t demonstrate impact of shift work on behavioral problems of shift workers’ children. However, behavioral and emotional problems of the children were correlated with some of their parents’ demographic and job related factors.