Growing up, seeing my parents argue every now and again was the norm. To be quite honest, I don't remember any of my friends not seeing their parents argue. Since most of friends were experiencing the same things, I never thought twice about the fights my parents had because it seemed like a regular thing. Though parental spats are normal in most households, questioning if you should fight in front of kids is very relevant.
As a kid, I never knew how witnessing my parents fight could affect me. However, ABC News reported that fighting in front of kids can cause emotional instability. Although the fight may have nothing to do with the kids directly, fighting in front of them — if done in the wrong way — can leave lasting effects. The article further stated that children can show an increase in negative symptoms such as aggression, depression, hostility, and anxiety and can even cause them to act out while the parents are arguing to cause a distraction. Likewise, Psychology Today noted that when children see their parents fight, they internalize that as the way to handle disagreements. Expanding on the aforementioned, Parents revealed that unresolved fighting will tear away at your child's confidence and triggers fear in children of all ages.
Surprisingly though, there is an upside to having disagreements in front of your children. Parents went on to note that fighting in front of your children reveals to them that even the happiest of couples can have disagreements. In addition, it helps them be open to verbalizing the issues that they have and finding a positive way to resolve them. That, however, will require parents to display a healthy resolution to their arguments.
Fighting in front of your kids may be inevitable, but the way you handle the disagreement can change how it affects them. Ensuring that you are displaying love towards your partner at all times and showing your children that even with a disagreement, you two can still respect one another is extremely important. Children — regardless the age — are sensitive and pick up on everything happening in the household whether you see it or not. So, finding positive ways to resolve your disagreements will be a learning experience for everyone involved.
