Hard to believe when you’re pulling your hair out for the third time in a week or when you’re caught in tantrum-land.

But, according to a study done by Brigham Young University, having kids can actually lower your blood pressure, especially women.

The study involved 198 adults who wore portable blood pressure monitors, mostly concealed by their clothes, for 24 hours.

The monitors took measurements at random intervals throughout the day – even while participants slept. This method provides a better sense of a person’s true day-to-day blood pressure.

The effect was more pronounced among women, with motherhood corresponding to a 12-point difference in systolic blood pressure and a 7-point difference in diastolic blood pressure.

Read the entire article here.

I suspect that civilization, as a whole, took a nosedive the very moment people started trying to reason with children. Children are, by nature, unreasonable. Children are basically egos with lungs and legs. Nonetheless, modern parents seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to coax, cajole and downright BEG their progeny to “please, for the love of all that is good and sane, BEHAVE!” Sometimes they even go so far as to promise treats and toys.

I try to imagine my mother allowing herself to stoop to this level – to no avail. The only “treat” I every enjoyed post-tantrum was being allowed to live.

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It’s been a few years, but I’m fairly certain I taught my son to speak. I have a dim recollection of spending many happy afternoons coaxing his sweet baby-self to say “mama! Ma-ma! You can do it sweetie, Mama!” only to thrill to that blessed, blissful day when he cracked a wide, gummy grin and said clearly and with great feeling:

That one small instance of treason aside, I’m certain I taught the boy to talk. How then, to explain the fact that he is apparently struck mute when it comes to middle school? My formerly chatty child seems, overnight, to have become somewhat succinct in any speech pattern relating to school activities. Is he attending spy school up there or what?

How was your day dear?” “Good.”

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My son turns two in August. He’s been exhibiting a lot of behavior that falls squarely into the “terrible twos” category since about 17/18 months. I’ve been told this is normal. I’ve been told it gets better at two, then bad again at three. I’ve been told “just wait until two.” Whatever the answer, I’m hoping it either ends soon or I’m granted about 500 more patience points by the divine.

 Seemingly overnight, my son transformed from a kid we could take anywhere—WOULD take anywhere thanks to his perfect restaurant behavior—into a child that can’t handle sitting in a shopping cart for five minutes while in Target because all he wants to do is squirm and run around and knock things over.

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Recently, I heard a story in the news and was pretty torn. It was story of how a mother in New York ordered her bickering 10 and 12 year old girls out of the car and drove away. Here’s the story in case you missed it. Apparently, Madlyn Primoff left her girls on the side of the road, returned some time later and reported them missing when they weren’t where she left them. A Good Samaritan had seen the girls on the side of the road and brought them to the police station.

Madlyn has been charged with a crime and isn’t able to see her daughters anymore.

I’m torn because this case definitely isn’t black and white for me. I mean, who didn’t hear the threat of “If you don’t stop fighting, I’ll pull this car over and…” But, c’mon–we all knew it was an empty threat. But, who hasn’t gotten so annoyed and worn down by their kid that they’re tempted to leave them on the side of the road and drive away. Of course, there’s no way I could actually DO it, but I’d sure as hell be tempted. And the kids aren’t little–they’re 10 and 12. Definitely old enough to understand punishment and consequence.

I think this just brings to light a larger issue that parenting is HARD. It’s frustrating and thankless and will make you question nearly every decision. But, thankfully, for me, is 100% worth it.

But I’m interested in what everyone else thinks. What’s your opinion on this situation?