Moms with three kids feel the most stress!
A survey by “Today” found that moms who have three children are more stressed than those who have fewer kids. It also found that moms who have more than four children actually report lower levels of stress.
“There’s just not enough space in your head for perfectionism when you get to four or more kids,” Dr. Janet Taylor told “Today.” “The more children you have, the more confident you become in your parenting abilities. You have to let go … and then you’re just thankful when they all get to school on time.”
More than 7,000 mothers were surveyed, and moms on average reported their stress level at 8.5 on a scale of one to 10. Meanwhile, 46 percent say their partners were more stressful than their kids. Even worse, 75 percent of moms say their stress comes from the pressure they put on themselves to save face in front of other parents.
“You always hear about the mommy wars, but I feel like we’re judging ourselves more harshly than anyone else,” said Jill Smokler, owner of blog “Scary Mommy.” She has three kids and says it’s the most stressful number.
“Going from one to two was an easy, breezy transition,” said Maryland-based Smokler. “Two to three, everything was turned upside down. I did not feel like I had it together…just crossing the street and not being able to physically hold all their hands I found tremendously stressful.”