While having three kids is viewed by some as a recipe for stress, having 4 or more seems to be the right formula. At least that’s what a US-based survey has found.
The survey, conducted by TODAYMoms.com, gathered data from 7,000 moms across the United States.
When asked to rate their stress from 1 to 10, a majority of moms surveyed placed their stress level at 8.5.
What exactly are moms stressing about? About 60% of moms surveyed were stressed about not having enough time to do all their tasks, chores, and errands.
Most of the moms alsoworry about keeping their work-life balance, financial issues, marital issues and dealing with the pressure to be “perfect” to avoid being judged by other moms.
Researchers found that those with three children reported being more stressed out than those with less than three kids. Another interesting finding was that those with four or more kids reported to experience less stress.
Why is this so? Some moms believe that after having your fourth child, you’re less pressured to be perfect and to get everything right all the time. Having this weight lifted off your shoulders helps you stress less.
“The more children you have, the more confident you become in your parenting abilities,” Psychiatrist and mom-of-four Janet Taylor told Today.com in an interview. “You have to let go… and then you’re just thankful when they all get to school on time.”
Here are more interesting takeaways from the survey:
- 72% of moms are stressed about being stressed.
- 60% of moms find raising daughters more stressful than raising sons.
- 46% of moms attribute more stress caused by their partner than their kids.
- 9 out of 10 moms trace their cause of stress to looking fit and attractive.
How parents can manage stress
Though these findings are interesting, your level of stress doesn’t always depend on the number of kids you have. All parents can suffer from stress, even if it varies in severity.
Here are some ways to ease the parenthood pressures to find joy in raising your kids despite the struggles.
1. Get up earlier in the morning so you’re not rushing through your routine.
2. Jot down lots of notes and reminders to keep your day organized.
3. Find out what your stress triggers are and try to avoid them.
4. Think positive and practice motivating self-talk.
5. Manage expectations by setting realistic goals.
6. Accept limits and pick your battles. Don’t stress out about what you can’t control!
7. Be patient, but don’t procrastinate.
8. Surround yourself with positive people.
9. Take care of your own physical, emotion, and mental health and well being.
10. Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes. This is how you learn.
No parent is perfect, so you shouldn’t try to be. Strive to love and care for your child (and yourself) the best way you know how, and you’ll be at peace, embracing new learnings and growing while you teach and guide your kids.
sources: Today.com, The Huffington Post, Women’s Health Australia, ChildDevelopmentInfo.com, RaisingChildren.net
READ: 9 Things calm parents do that stressed parents don’t