How Do You Get Along with Mom and Dad?
May 5, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Tension exists in almost all relationships, but the tension between adult children and their parents is perhaps the most widespread.
Ask yourself these three questions:
Is there tension in the relationship with your parents?
If there is, which one of you feels it more intensely?
Is there more tension with your mother or father?
A new study from the University of Michigan found that the majority of parents and adult children experience tension and aggravation with one another.
Surprised?
Who is more bothered by that tension? The parent is generally more bothered, according to the study. And the older the adult child, the more it bothers the parent.
Interestingly, both mothers and fathers reported more tension in relationships with their daughters than with their sons. Both sons and daughters said there’s more tension with their mothers than their fathers. Personality differences and unsolicited advice were mentioned as tension causing with mothers.
Do these findings describe your relationships? Why do you think there’s more conflict with mothers than fathers? The researchers believe it may be because mothers can make more demands for closeness or be more intrusive than fathers.
The researchers analyzed data on 474 parents and adult children 22 years old and older. The children resided within 50 miles of their parents. The research will be published in Psychology and Aging. Read more in the news release at the University of Michigan website.
(Image via stock.xchng)
