Stress From Parenting Tasks: Causes And Consequences
Raising and educating a child is a unique experience, but at times it can be a source of stress for parents.
In this article we will try to analyze the main ways in which raising minors can lead to increased stress in their parents as well as the main effects that derive from this fact and that can affect different levels.
What do we understand by stress from parenting tasks?
When we think about stress from parenting, we’re actually talking about a very general phenomenon that occurs in many families with boys and girls Taking care of a minor is such a broad concept that covers so many situations that it is necessary to analyze this activity in depth to separate some of its main components.
In this way, we will be able to better understand the different ways in which stress due to the tasks of raising children may be appearing, since they can be very different, although the final repercussions for the adult who suffers them are similar. Below we will see some of these factors, although that does not mean that they are the only ones that exist.
Likewise, it is important to understand that, like so many things in life, The experience of raising a child is totally personal and different in each case so there will be parents who identify with several of these factors, others who do so with all of them and there will even be some who do not coincide with any of them, and who have never felt stress due to the tasks of raising children.
Causes of stress due to parenting responsibilities
With these previous considerations clear, we can now go on to list those factors that may be causing or fueling stress due to the tasks of raising children.
1. Lack of sleep
The first factor that we can analyze is lack of sleep. This variable occurs, especially, during the first stage of parenting, that is, when the child is still a baby and, due to his or her physiological needs, demands attention repeatedly, regardless of whether it is day or night
It is a completely normal fact, as is also the case that this generates difficulties in getting all the necessary sleep for parents, who have to take care of their child, as is natural, even if this means waking up several times during the night to breastfeed or the bottle, or cover any other need you have at that moment.
Of course, getting a bad night’s sleep may not be a problem for anyone, but When it occurs repeatedly, we may be facing a source of stress due to the tasks of raising children If the baby is exclusively breastfed, the problem of lack of sleep will primarily affect the mother, unless the milk is previously expressed so that the father can give him the bottle.
This is a system that many couples use to somehow share shifts or even entire nights, so that the effort is shared and therefore the fatigue and rest are also shared.
2. Economic uncertainty
Continuing with the ways in which stress from parenting tasks can appear, We must not ignore the economic part of parenthood Going through a period of crisis or job instability, or another situation that puts the acquisition of economic resources at risk, is a common source of concern for many people.
When this situation occurs and the person themselves is the only one affected, the stress will be less than if it affects them and their partner, and even less than if there are children in the relationship, who totally depend on said acquisition of resources. Therefore, The fact of experiencing economic difficulties, together with the factor of having dependent minors, may be promoting an increase in anxiety in parents
This form of stress can even appear as an anticipation, during pregnancy, as worry about future situations and expenses, which are not yet taking place.
3. Time management
Time, or rather the lack of it, is a way for stress from parenting tasks to arrive. It is obvious that taking care of a child requires complete involvement and investment of all types of resources, time being one of the main ones. Parents soon find that, with all the new tasks involved in caring for a baby, the day seems to have fewer hours than before.
For this reason, they are forced to give up some of their previous activities, or try to do some routines in less time for which they were not so limited before. The process of adapting to the new way of life is also important in this matter, and after a period of more difficulties, many parents see how this form of stress due to the tasks of raising children is reduced.
4. Difficulties in parenting
We stressed at the beginning of the article that each situation is unique, so Very specific events may occur that represent added difficulty to parenting whether due to the personality of the parents or the child, the educational style, the form of attachment developed or any other factor that may be generating an imbalance.
In that sense, there will be parents who have greater basic emotional management tools, or children who are calmer than others and who therefore are less likely to generate additional concern for their parents for various reasons. When these and other factors become unbalanced, we could be facing another way in which stress from parenting tasks appears.
5. Health problems
Although in general, the diseases that children tend to suffer from are frequent but mild in nature (colds, conjunctivitis, etc.) and therefore their health is not excessively compromised, it is still a source of concern for children. parents, who obviously do not want to see their children suffer, even if it is for a minor ailment.
This anxiety is especially pronounced in first-time parents who due to their lack of experience and information may have a greater tendency to worry about any situation that falls outside of what they consider normal, such as a slight increase in temperature, which they could interpret as a fever when it does not necessarily have to be.
The health of their children is a priority for parents, so it is not surprising that the concern that arises from this issue can increase their stress level.
In the previous point we have reviewed some of the possible causes that could be favoring the appearance or increase of stress due to the tasks of raising children. We will now stop momentarily to analyze some of the effects that this issue can have on fathers and mothers
As we pointed out previously, these effects are not the only possible ones, nor do they necessarily appear in all cases.
1. Irritability
It is logical to think that a father or mother, like any other person, who is under constant stress, can see their irritability increase. Then, These individuals will feel how they get angry more easily than in other circumstances in which they are more relaxed
The negative part of this effect is that it can have an indirect impact on the children themselves, for example by having less patience with them in certain situations.
2. Anxious and depressive symptoms
Stress from parenting tasks is totally normal. The problem arises when, due to the specific circumstances of the case, this stress is greater than the person can bear, and is maintained over time. This is when additional difficulties may arise, such as anxious and/or depressive symptoms.
As in any other situation in life in which a person feels overwhelmed, it is best to look for ways to achieve the emotional management tools that he or she is missing and that he or she needs at that moment. One of the ways to do this is with the help of a professional psychologist.
3. Relationship conflicts
The last of the effects of stress due to parenting tasks that we are going to mention in this list is the hypothetical relationship conflicts that may appear. Two people subjected to continuous stress, even if they enjoy a great relationship, can see certain friction appear between them
Logically, the stronger this relationship is and the better the communication between both, the more likely it will be to resolve these incidents without any major problems and learn from them so that they do not reappear in the future.
