Stress of parenting on relationships

Probably most couples are unprepared for just how much extra work having children will entail. I remember thinking that nobody really warned us about how precious little personal time we would have after our first child was born (and before she was born I had not considered taking a shower my personal time!).

With all the extra work children require, it’s easy to see how both parents can feel like they are giving more than their share and start feeling angry with their spouse for not doing more. When reading the article “Mad at Dad”, I was reminded of how deep and corrosive these feelings of anger and resentment can be. According to this article, “46% of moms get irate with their husbands once a week or more. Those with kids younger than 1 are even more likely to be mad that often (54 percent).”

When our children were in pre-school, we heard of so many parents of young children getting a divorce. Having children certainly puts a stress on marriages. Couples need excellent communication skills to address difficult topics like differences in parenting approaches or who does what chores. Coming to agreement on things like dividing up the chores may be difficult but is also essential for marriages to remain strong.