Every Family Fights
There's no question that every family fights and has the same types of arguments. Whether it's about screen time or money, or good ol' fashioned sibling rivalry, some fights among family members are unavoidable. Hopefully, this isn't triggering, but here are 20 common family arguments you've likely faced.
1. Spending Habits
Money might be the biggest stressor in every family. Arguing over finances is common among spouses, adult siblings, and also between parents and their children. The best strategy to avoid it is to have regular discussions about finances and ensure you share the same priorities.
2. Chores
Household responsibilities are another point of contention among family members. Parents are often frustrated about the effort it takes to get their kids to do a chore, and their kids are often annoyed by how much is asked of them. Getting school-aged kids to do their homework falls in this category.
3. Conflicting Parenting Styles
One parent is often the good cop, while the other is the bad cop. Fights over parenting style typically boil down to one parent being the strict one and the other being too lenient. Grandparents can sometimes add tension to these arguments by injecting their parenting styles into the mix.
4. Sibling Rivalry
Siblings argue over everything. We'd love to say that this ends in adulthood, but anyone with a sibling knows that's not true. As children, sibling disputes and rivalry can escalate quickly and cause a lot of tension in a household.
5. Screen Time
Most kids want to spend every free moment watching TV or playing video games. When parents try to curb screen time for their kids, it can lead to a ton of fights and issues. This is one common family fight that parents should stick to their guns about.
6. Extended Family
Fights about extended families can focus on in-laws or whether to invite a certain uncle to the next barbecue. With in-laws, arguments can be about how often they visit, or which family traditions should be followed.
7. Cleaning Styles
Rarely will every member of a household have the same cleaning style or definition of the word "clean". Conflicting cleaning styles can cause recurring fights, and the only way to fix it is to somehow get on the same page.
8. Meal Preferences
Arguments over picky eating or having to cater to a vegan diet are common in many families. Daily fights can even break out over what to eat for dinner. Meal planning can help, but only if there's buy-in from everyone at the start.
9. Personal Space
Living with a big or small family means sacrificing your personal space and privacy. There's no way around it. You'll share a bathroom with at least one other person, if not several, and setting boundaries is challenging.
10. Traditions
Two people coming together to start a family bring their traditions with them. These arguments worsen as the holiday approaches, and you have to make time for both sides of the family. The best part about this fight is that it happens annually!
11. Bedtime
Parents and kids have been fighting over when to go to bed for a long time. Younger kids always want to stay up late, and teens would rather sleep through the day. Couples without kids could also fight about bedtime if one is a night owl and the other is more of an early bird.
12. Academic Performance
Most parents worry about their kids' grades and general academic performance. The worst thing a parent can do is compare them to another kid in their class. This is a surefire way to escalate the fight and can lead to a lot of nagging.
13. Household Rules
Even families with lax rules will still argue about them. There's nothing a teenager hates more than rules, and even toddlers find ways to rebel. Parents usually implement rules to keep their home and kids safe, but that won't stop daily fights from happening.
14. Career Choices
This contributes to the common argument over finances, but career choices are known to cause fights among family members. The most popular version of this fight occurs when someone wants to pursue a passion as a career rather than something more practical.
15. Allocating Parental Duties
Most couples don't have an equal division of duties, and this will inevitably cause arguments. It's a recipe for domestic disaster if one parent is overburdened and the other tries to avoid their responsibilities.
16. Friends
Parents who disapprove of their kid's friends or think there's a negative influence creeping in are likely to get in fights over whether this friendship should be nixed. For couples, arguments could break out if one dislikes one of their partners' friends.
17. Sharing Belongings
Sharing belongings is a safe bet to cause a fight between siblings, but it could also cause one between parents. We can all be a bit possessive when it comes to our toys, gadgets, or favorite possessions. Adults could even fight about something as insignificant as a phone charger.
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18. Thermostat
Arguments over the temperature inside the house are never-ending. Half the members of a household seem to be always cold, and the other half are too warm. Having a family means accommodating the needs of different people, but it can be challenging.
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19. Morning Routines
Our morning routines are precious, but can easily be upended. Families are prone to fighting if someone takes too long getting ready in the morning, or when someone hits the snooze alarm more than once.
20. Vacations
Families will clash over how to spend their vacation. This ranges from arguing over the destination to how much to spend. It can also include whether to vacation with another family or the grandparents.
