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The psychological reason you argue with your significant other
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So there's a reason you're always arguing with your spouse you care about them, a lot, and they'll forgive you. - photo by Herb Scribner
There are those moments when we lose our cool and lash out at our spouses, even when the problems have nothing to do with them and theyre merely caught in the cross fire.

Theres a reason for it love.

As School of Life, an organization devoted to helping people understand emotional intelligence, explained in a recent video, couples often argue because their spouses often understand them in ways that others dont and will likely forgive their partner for any of these arguments.

Spouses also have the ability to solve their partners problems.

Part of this is because our loved ones let us crumble and complain in front of them, The Huffington Post reported. Another factor is that the love they give is reminiscent of the love we were given as children. Our parents could seemingly fix everything, and those expectations carry over into our adult partners, whom we sometimes view as our caretakers.

Of course, this video doesnt embrace arguing and shouldnt act as a motivator for couples to start lashing out at each other. Rather, the video serves as a reminder to always remember why youre arguing with your spouse in the first place, HuffPost reported.

Complaining in a relationship is nothing new, either, whether it be about the relationship itself or different aspects of life.

But as Tamar Chansky, psychologist and author, wrote for The Huffington Post, couples who complain to each other may be making their relationship happier. Letting issues stew will only create negative feelings between partners if theyre prolonged for too much time.

The reason is this: Not complaining and, instead, letting those concerns build up could do more harm than good, Chansky wrote. The longer you wait, the bigger the problem gets, and the more irrational you become. When you finally explode, and you will, chances are that your complaint won't come out with a cute (however rough around the edges) note. It will be war.

Some couples worry, though, about complaining to their spouse in fear that the complaints will spawn larger arguments that will spiral into a dusty whirlwind of digs, disses and derogatory comments.

But fear not: there are healthy ways for couples to rationally complain about their work stresses, home life or relationship without it tailspinning into a bigger argument. Guy Winch, Ph.D., wrote for Psychology Today that couples should enter these discussions with productivity in mind, keeping their goals for the conversation in the back of their head.

He suggests you make a sandwich a complaint sandwich to avoid confrontation.

It goes like this. The first slice of bread is a positive statement, which lowers everyones defenses and starts the discussion on a soft note. Then, couples can get to the meat of the matter the actual complaint or issue.

The 'meat' should be lean that is, keep it to a single incident and single principle, he wrote.

The last slice of bread is yet another positive statement. This should hopefully end the conversation on a positive note and keep couples from having a full argument.

To avoid this destructive cycle, he wrote, we must learn how to voice our complaints productively and get the result we're looking for.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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