Normative vs Nonnormative stressors

Normative vs. Nonnormative stressors

  Everyday hassles, also known as normative stressors affect every individual, both women and men,  and families in general.  Everyday hassles are things such as taking out the trash, doing the dishes, picking up and taking children to school etc.  They are activities that need to be done daily or even weekly and monthly.  It's important to understand these normative every day hassles so we can differentiate them from the non normative stressors and because they happen more frequently they are better able to tell us the level of family stress a family is experiencing.  Non normative stressors would be things such as a diagnosis, or off-time developments.  Non normative stressors are things that happen on occasion that are usually unanticipated.

  Some examples of normative stressors include, laundry, a baby teething, a teen learning to drive, picking up children from school, and finding parking at school.

  Some examples of non normative stressors include, a car wreck, a diagnosis of Autism, heart surgery, the loss of a young family member, or having to file for bankruptcy.

  The concern for normative stressors is how families adapt to them, and whether or not pile up happens.  How families adapt and manage these stressors is a good indication of the overall family wellbeing.  The concern for non normative stressors is the families coping capabilities, resources and perception of the event.