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The surprising and very dangerous place couples argue, and how to stop it
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Couples are very likely to argue in the car, especially when they're angry about relationship issues. Here's how couples can turn that around. - photo by Herb Scribner
The worst person to have with you in the front seat of your car may also be the first person you want in the front seat of your life.

A new survey from Done Deal, a classifieds website in Ireland, found that one in three drivers found their partners to be the most stressful person to have in the front seat of their car while driving, according to the Independent.

Because there is nothing, we repeat nothing more irritating than an overly involved front-seat passenger especially if that passenger happens to be your smug other half, Her.ie, a website for Irish women, wrote about the study.

Couples who fight in the car arent uncommon, according to The Wall Street Journals Elizabeth Bernstein.

Sure, road trips can be romantic, but the car is often the last place where we have to relinquish full control in a relationship, according to WSJ. And that can make the ride, well, emotionally bumpy.

Partners will often argue about whos going to drive, where theyre going and how fast theyre driving, WSJ reported.

This can be especially dangerous as it may take ones attention away from the road and put couples in a variety of dangerous situations, WSJ reported.

Couples especially argue about directions since men and women give out directions differently. While men use distance and simple directions, women are more likely to use landmarks when navigating, WSJ reported. The conflicting styles cause couples to clash in the car.

Americans also told WSJ that car rides often become the center point for "power struggles and personality clashes going on elsewhere in our relationships."

But thats not always the case. Cars can present a sort of romanticism for young couples they can go anywhere and be free and are also a place where couples can have long, deep discussions, WSJ reported.

Remember when cars were romantic? As teenagers, they represented freedom and first kisses. And as adults, many couples say they have their most intimate discussions on long drives, because they are trapped together yet not forced to face each other directly.

So whats WSJs solution?

Fly. It worked for one friend of mine, Bernstein wrote. Last Christmas, she packed her three kids in the car for the six-hour drive from New York to New England and let her husband, who was stuck at work, take a plane.

But couples cant always fly to the supermarket. To avoid arguments for shorter drives, Suzanna Phillips, a psychologist and writer of the Healing Together for Couples blog at Psych Central, said couples should make sure they understand whether their partner wants them to help with navigation or not. This will cut down on much of the arguing, she wrote.

Partners should also look to recognize the signs that their partner may be upset so that they can do their best to limit further conflict, according to Psych Central.

Some partners who are suppressing feelings might grip their wheel tighter, and partners who are upset will suddenly start driving somewhere else or show impatience with other drivers.

Partners who are more accepting of the situation will act passively, Phillips wrote. But conflict could arise later when theyre out of the car.

Most importantly, Phillips suggests couples plan for potential conflicts ahead of time by figuring out whos going to drive, printing out maps so they have a good set of directions and even bringing some music or audio books along to help reduce the stress of traffic or the strain of long distance driving.

Couples should observe their partners space when driving so that they dont find themselves in a potentially life-threatening situation, Phillips wrote.

Give each other psychological space, Phillips wrote. If one or the other says they really cant talk about something upsetting this is the time to listen. Postponement of discussion, even silence, may be a constructive step toward diffusing feelings in the car not a dismissal.
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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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