ABSTRACT
Parenting children is demanding and can be stressful. But sometimes there are other things in the lives of parents that contribute to general levels of tension. It is often when stresses become combined that parents find their patience with their children wears thin. It is in the conditions that parents can find themselves, irritable, exhausted and overwhelmed. The symptoms include: difficulties getting to sleep or staying asleep; irritability and bad temperedness; tearfulness; bowel troubles; anxiety; depression; increased smoking; drinking or eating; susceptibility to illness and infection including recurrent colds and infections; loss of interest in sex; tiredness; persistent fatigue and exhaustion; and negative thoughts about the self and the future. It is not always possible to walk away from the causes of stress that we are experiencing.
