Husbands are more stressful than kids, claims new study
Mums everywhere won't be shocked to hear that husbands are more stressful than kids, according to a study run by Today US.
The survey of more than 7,000 US mothers revealed their average reported stress level was around 8.5 out of 10, and while plenty of that has to do with the demands of parenting, their partners are only adding to the struggle.
A whopping 46 per cent of mums said that their husbands are a bigger source of stress than their kids, many arguing their men are more like big children than equal partners.
Almost half of the women surveyed said their husbands were more stressful than their kids. Getty
They complained that while housekeeping, parenting and day-to-day tasks often fell to them without discussion, their male counterparts regularly viewed parenting as a part-time role they deserved praise for when they provided it.
A 2012 survey conducted by the same group with 1,500 US fathers found a massive two in three dads want verbal acknowledgement from their partners when they help with the kids and home.
Cue every mother who has ever had to ask her husband to "babysit" his own kids rolling her eyes.
While that's not to say dad's don't deserve praise – they certainly do – many of the women who shared their experiences pointed out just how lacklustre their husband's 'help' can be.
Most dads want more praise when they do step up to the parenting plate. Pexels
“He gets all the time he wants and I get none. I can't even take a relaxing bath without my husband bringing the baby to me," one unnamed woman said.
“Even though I have a committed spouse, I still feel like all the pressure is on ME to get everything done. I work just as many hours as my husband does, but yet I do all the scheduling," explained another.
Most mums reported they had far less free time than their other half and were more stressed out as a result, with one in five saying that not receiving enough help from their spouses only added to the stress.
On top of that is the fact mums and dads tend to experience parental stress in different ways, with mums often wanting to deal with issues immediately and consider long-term decision making, whereas dads tend to be more laid back.
Struggling together may be better than struggling alone. Getty
But while married mums have to struggle with the stress of managing their husbands as well as their kids, their stress levels pale in comparison to single mums having to deal with it all on their own, who reported the highest levels of stress in the survey.
So even though husbands can be stress-inducing, it looks like they might be worth it.
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