How A Family Can Battle Overwhelm Together

Parenting may be the toughest job one will ever have. Parenting requires extensive amounts of work, expenditures, responsibilities and sacrifices. Studies have even revealed that parents can have lower reported rates of emotional well-being compared to other adults who have no children. Many women put their careers on hold or keep a job at the same time to raise their families, working to create the best possible environment for their family.

Men, whom can often be stereotypically painted as the “provider” for their family, can work long to support the financial needs and pursuits of each family member. This work can be done inside or outside the home as some men are choosing to take on a homemaker role. Regardless of occupational choices, it is clear that many parents wear multiple hats and take on a variety of responsibilities, all carrying with them their own stressors.

Living the Daily Grind

It can be easy to slip into a “grass is greener” type of thinking when faced with daily life stressors. Husbands may think their wives are having a nice time “just being at home, minding the children and being a housekeeper”. In reality their days are filled with perpetual chores that last until everyone’s asleep in their beds. They may feel cooped up in the house day in and day out, maybe even missing regular contact with other adults. Working mothers may also think that theirs is a harder life, with a household to run after their “9-5” is completed.

Wives, especially full-time homemakers, may think their husbands are having the “best time” when going to work. In reality, they may be faced with deadlines to meet, bosses to please, and fellow workers to relate with. They could be facing constant pressures from the workplace, possibly leaving them exhausted and stressed when they return home.

Children who go to school can be saddled with school responsibilities, not to mention relationship issues and peer pressure. They possibly come home stressed as well, and may even be met by equally stressed parents. Who can blame them with all the daily stressors each family member is faced with?

The Effects of Stress on the Family

Parent’s behavior can serve as a model for their children. Children who are surrounded by adults who handle stress in unhealthy ways – yelling, fighting, anger, etc. – can be more likely to acquire the same negative behaviors towards stressful situations. Similarly, overwhelmed parents who work through stressful experiences with a positive, healthy attitude would have a greater likelihood of seeing such behaviors in their children.

What APA Experts Say

In 2010, The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted an online Harris Interactive Survey to better understand family issues. Results indicated that 73 percent of parents viewed family duties as a significant source of their stress. Understanding that overwhelmed parents are the role models of their children, the APA offers tips to help your family down a healthy path and possibly to a happier life. Aside from having regular conversations, creating a positive, healthy home environment and living a healthy lifestyle, APA recommends seeking professional help from therapists to better manage emotional overwhelm.

You are your children’s role model. Let them learn resilience and positive values when faced with domestic challenges by observing you. Call Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC today and begin your journey to overcoming overwhelm with a caring and knowledgeable licensed, independently contracted therapist.

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