Ever got a feeling your husband or partner is pretty much just like having an extra child on your hands?

You are not alone. The truth is, when it comes to the running of family life, women so very often carry the absolute vast amount of the burden, regardless of whether or not they work in- or also outside the home. Maybe especially so this time a year. Presents, cards, teachers gifts, stocking fillers, the turkey, the travel plans to make sure you catch up with everyone, the decor, the costumes for the school play, the goose fat, the cranberries, the jam-packed December rota in general – who, in your household, stays on top of it all? Unfortunately, for many women, as demanding as motherhood can be, it turns out it is their husbands that can have an even greater impact on their stress levels. In fact, a survey conducted by Today of over 7,000 mums found that the average mum rates her stress levels an 8.5 out of 10, and a whopping 46 percent of women say their husbands are causing more stress than their kids. The researchers summarised the following:

• Mums stress most about not having enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done
• 3 in every 4 mums with partners say they do most of the parenting and household duties
• 1 in every 5 mums says not having enough help from their spouse is a major source of daily stress

Sounds a little familiar? Maybe even more interesting (for us women, anyway) is that researchers from the University of Padova recently discovered that this carries over into a difference in health further down the road, when one partner passes away. Meaning; when husbands lose their wives, their health deteriorates, but when women lose their husbands, on the other hand, they actually become healthier and are better at coping with stress and depression. Now; how's that for stress factor?