Studies Show That Husbands Cause Women More Stress Than Children

  • Parents Only

It's no secret that being a mum is hard work - you're pretty much doing the equivalent of ten full time jobs a day, from short order cook to hostage negotiator. Having a supportive partner can make all the difference to your day, not to mention your mental health. So, would it be a surprise to you that husbands can be the biggest source of stress in our days? Even more stress than our kids cause? A US study suggests mums are being short-changed in the help department.  

Over in the US, news site TODAY.com conducted a survey that included over 7,000 mums. The results showed that the average mum rates her stress level an 8.5 out of 10. In addition, 46% of the women surveyed said that their husbands cause more stress than their kids. That's right - more stress than the person who is in tears because their toast was cut into triangles and not squares today. 

What's Causing The Stress?

stressful mum
Mums the world over can sympathise with this stressed-out mum!


No, it's not the toddler meltdowns, I suppose mums just take that in their stride! Primary sources of stress for the mothers surveyed include:

  • Not enough time each day to accomplish everything that needs to be done.
  • Responsibility for most of the parenting and household duties.
  • Inadequate help from their spouses.
  • Single mothers experience the highest levels of stress, as they have zero daily support from a spouse. However, as reader Katelyn points out in the comments, some single mothers find household duties easier and less stressful once they don't have a husband to pick up after too...

Who's Doing The Work?

The survey revealed that three in every four mums with partners reported that they do most of the parenting and household duties. A lot of the time this is because their partners are working full time or simply because they prefer to do the job themselves, i.e "their way." Read the "right way" for many of us.... am I right? Sometimes it's just taken for granted that the mum does it all because it's always been that way. 

Can We Fix This?

It can be as simple as starting a conversation with your partner. Is he/she not pulling their weight? Why not tell them? Open the lines of communication and say, "this is going to make me happy and reduce my stress." A lot of the time they are simply unaware.

As for speaking to your toddler about their sandwiches, I say never, ever negotiate with terrorists. Just give into their evil white bread cutting demands and be done with it. 

Good luck!

More News For Parents

Do You And Your Partner Need A Sleep Divorce?
Study Finds That Being A Full-Time Working Mum Is Seriously Stressful
This Is The Ideal Bedtime For Parents’ Mental Health

 

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Reviews


Katelyn Milevski

May 21 2018

WOW - thanks for the acknowledgement. Most appreciated. Was not expecting that! xx


Editor

May 14 2018

You're so right, Katelyn - we have heard this many a time. We have updated the article to reflect this! -Editor.


Katelyn Milevski

May 13 2018

Ahem. Your comment about single mothers being more unhappy than their married counterparts because they have 'zero daily support' is not always, nor entirely true. The majority of single mothers I know love that they have one less person to pick up after and clean up after. My laundry and cleaning was halved when I left my husband. And if true be known, I used to put my (then) toddler son's food slipmat under my husband as he made more mess when eating! I also have waaaay more time for the things I want and need to do since becoming a single mum. More sleep would be nice. But no - I am way more happier with just the two of us (my son and I) when it comes to cleaning and mess.