What Do Families Fight About Most? New Study Finds Out

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 30, 2024 -- In a world where families may be more apt to interact with technology than with one another, some things never change.

Many still struggle to get along. But just what do 21st century families fight about?

A new survey of 593 parents with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 17 offers some clues — and the flashpoints are very familiar.

For couples, communication is No. 1. They're also clashing about issues like mood, parenting, money and whose turn it is to take out the trash or do other chores.

"Think about how much relationships in our world have changed in the last 50 years, with massive cultural and technological shifts," said study co-author Allen Barton, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

"Interestingly, despite all these changes, couples still seem to argue about the same things," he added in a university news release. "This suggests there are some fundamental aspects for what it takes to make a romantic relationship last."

Parents and teens, meanwhile, have added technology and cellphone use to the traditional clashes over chores and messy rooms. But perennial issues such as bedtime delays, obeying instructions and picky eating remain the biggest battles between parents and younger kids.

"These struggles appear to be common across different types of families," Barton said.

In their couple relationship, women reported higher severity than men for communication, moods and tempers, parenting and household chores. That's consistent with prior research that has shown women are often more attuned to relationship issues than men, the authors said.

"Many studies have documented the impact of conflict on family relationships, but most of those have looked at how the conflict is managed rather than what family members are discussing," said lead author Noah Larsen, a graduate student in human development and family studies.

For topics of conflict that appeared across multiple family relationships, Larsen and Barton found that battle lines were often more severe for couples than for parents and kids. That, they said, suggests a unique intensity to conflict topics when they appear in a marital or romantic relationship.

This added severity of conflict between romantic partners was most striking with regard to money, communication, showing affection and spending time together.

"This information about common sources of strife can help couples and families better anticipate and prepare for conflict, and it highlights to families dealing with these issues that they are not alone in what they are going through," Barton said.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Family Issues.

Sources

  • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, news release, Sept. 26, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-10-01 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords