Today's families are fighting about the same things their forebearers did Dividing up chores and spending too much money remain key issues between couples Messy rooms and chores continue to be points of contention between parents and kids MONDAY, Sept. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- In a world where families may be more apt to interact with technology than with one another, some things never change. Many still struggle to get along.
But just what do 21st century families fight about? A new survey of 593 parents with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 17 offers some clues — and the flashpoints are very familiar. For couples, communication is No. 1.
They're also clashing about issues like mood, parenting, money and whose turn it is to take out the trash or do other chores. "Think about how much relationships in our world have changed in the last 50 years, with massive cultural and technological shifts," said study co-author , an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "Interestingly, despite all these changes, couples still seem to argue about the same things," he added in a university news release.
"This suggests there are some fundamental aspects for what it takes to make a romantic relationship last." Parents and teens, meanwhile, have added to the traditional clashes over chores and messy rooms. But perennial issues such as bedtime delays, obeying instructions and picky eating remain the biggest .