American Literature

    Despite the promise of an easier life, it cannot be denied that the advancements of todays time have also brought further stress in peoples lives. Stress has become part of the worlds reality as every of aspect of life is threatened by problems and daily pressures. Even family life also brings a certain amount of stress to everyone. Sometimes, stress from the family sphere becomes the main reason for a family to have either a united household or divided lives.

    The causes of family stress may be external or internal. For instance, financial problems, trouble at work or in school, and peer pressure are all external factors that may agitate a person and make his or her life stressful. When parents snap at their child or when children disobey their parents because of these external factors, this often leads to internal rift between family members, negatively affecting their communication and the quality of their relationship with each other. On the other hand, the internal causes of stress in the family could be the conflicts that arise between family members. Anything could be a source of conflict between family members it could be as petty as who gets to eat the best part of the chicken served at the dinner table, or as serious as a childs depression induced by the little amount of time that family members get to spend with each other because of the demands of their surroundings. Stress could also be caused by the constant bickering and arguing that occurs due to the failure of parents and children to take time to listen to each other.

    The real challenge lies on how people cope with the pressures of family life. According to an article published in Nibbles by the University of Illinois (2010),  families can... develop effective coping skills for handling stress  (Recognizing Symptoms section). Although stress and problems could not be totally avoided, they can be reduced and their effects can be controlled. The secrets to a peaceful and less stressful family life are open communication between all family members, prioritizing and allotting enough time for each other, and supporting every member of the family.

    Being part of a family is not easy. Just like any other role we play in life, there are responsibilities we have to do and adjustments we have to make for the relationship to work. The best strategy to conquer the considerable stress in family life is to believe that the things we do are all for the people we have known the longest and love the most all throughout our existence our family.