New parents have 2,500 rows in baby's first year, a survey has revealed.
That's approximately 7 arguments a day, according to a study of 2,000 new moms and dads.
The catalysts for the arguments range from who’s sleeping more to lack of sex, money worries, and housework.
Here are the top 20 reasons why new parents have 2,500 rows in baby's first year.
Top 20 reasons parents argue in the first year
- Who is the most tired
- Who should get up during the night with the baby
- Housework not getting done
- Having less money than usual
- One person being at work all day while the other is left alone to parent
- Who should be responsible for feeding, changing, burping the baby
- Someone not doing their fair share of the work
- One person socializing more than the other
- Lack of affection
- Not having time to go out together
- One partner not putting in enough effort
- Not being able to soothe the crying baby
- Lack of sex
- Whether or not the baby should be left to cry alone
- Disagreement over relatives or in-laws getting involved
- One partner not talking to the other as much
- Pressure to have sex when you don’t want to
- One partner being bored at home alone with the baby
- Whether the baby is sick or not
- The amount the baby should eat or drink.
The silent treatment
About 30% of couples admitted they’d sometimes go five days without speaking to each other after a row.
One fifth of new parents split up in the first year, while one in 10 couples separated during their first year with a new baby but later got back together.
Leading reasons for separations ranged from “total lack of communication” to lack of sex and infidelity.
“It’s disheartening to see so many couples break up in the first 12 months of parenting, one of the most exciting times in their lives,” commented Zoë Bonser, show director at The Baby Show.
“While it is a wonderful period, there’s no doubt about it, it’s stressful with the change in sleep patterns, routines and responsibilities and getting used to there being a third person around that you have to care for all the time.”
The survey was created by parenting site, ChannelMum.com and the UK’s leading pregnancy and parenting event, The Baby Show, and conducted by OnePoll.