Objective To investigate the influence of family education manner on the mental health of stay-at-home children in rural China.Method 1 000 stay-at-home children from four regions in Jiangxi province were chosen randomly and surveyed with Egma Minnen av Bardndosnauppforstran（EMBU） and questionnaire of mental health test（MHT）.Results The level of mental health for stay-at-home children was the lowest

and that for children who had been left at home was higher while that for non-stay-at-home children was the highest（F=9.087

p<0.01）;father’s rearing style

maternal rearing style and rearing style of the watcher in the family system had impacts on the level of mental health for various kinds of stay-at-home children

but different rearing styles had different impacts on different stay-at-home children（R2=0.473;R2=0.453;R2=0.376;R2=0.246）.Conclusion Stay-at-home experience cannot only influence the mental health of the stay-at-home children but also can influence that of children who had been left at home;the watcher and parents shall adopt supportive and warm rearing styles instead of styles with rejection

punishment and overprotection;other rearing styles shall be adopted in accordance with the situation of the stay-at-home children.