Don’t hate me because I’m angry.
If you have young children at home, then you probably can relate to my rage.
At least that’s what a new survey found.
Apparently, there are many moms just like me whose tempers flare when they are stressed out about unruly kids, financial issues, work-related problems and time constraints.
This doesn’t mean that we are whipping dishes at the wall, screaming like lunatics or beating our kids because we are overworked and under paid. I don’t spank or scream at my 5-year-old daughter (I’m all about the loud sighs and lectures), but I can still feel my blood boil when I ask her to pick up the thousands of toys she scattered around the house, and 45 minutes later she’s still sitting in a sea of strewn playthings calmly combing her doll’s hair. To add insult to injury, when I exasperatedly ask her why she’s still lounging in the middle of the massive mess, she responds matter-of-factly: “What mess?”
At that point I don’t need medical tools to know that my blood pressure is slowly inching up into the danger zone.
Anger personified.
Sound familiar?
If so, you aren’t alone.
According to a national survey of 1,800 Americans aged 18 and older, the angriest people are the ones who have young children living at home. The study, which was conducted to build “a broader social portrait of anger in the United States,” also found that anger could be detrimental if you hold on to it too long.
According to the study’s lead researcher, those who express their anger might actually live longer than those who keep it bottled in.
So, yelling at our kids is a good thing?
Not quite, according to experts.
While the study did find that having children was strongly associated with angry feelings and behaviors, such as yelling, particularly in women, experts don’t recommend raging on your kid in order to extend your life. Rather, they recommend finding ways to redirect your anger, especially if having to discipline a misbehaving child causes feelings of anger and annoyance.
The goal, researchers say, is to learn how to manage your anger more proactively. This is particularly important for people (specifically mothers) under 30, who, according to the survey, experience anger of all forms or intensities more frequently than older adults. This was mainly due to the fact that young people are more likely to be affected by stress that can trigger angry feelings.
Do you think you were less angry prior to having kids or prior to turning 30? What makes you lose it on a daily basis?
Are you a member of the Mad Moms Club?
Related Articles:
How Often Do You Argue With Your Kids?
Do You Discipline Your Child in Public?
Teaching Your Toddler to Lose Gracefully
Do You Punish Your Kids For Swearing?
Do Your Kids Need a Manners Makeover?