One Husband, Three Hormonal Females: A Survival Guide

There comes a moment in many family homes where you look around and realise the emotional temperature has shifted. The house feels louder, more reactive, slightly unpredictable. One minute there are giggles, the next there are tears over the wrong cereal bowl, and somewhere in the middle is a husband standing in the kitchen wondering what just happened. Welcome to the era no one really prepares you for.

The one where your daughters are growing, your hormones are shifting, and suddenly your household feels like a group chat that never quite agrees on the vibe. If you are currently living with daughters, navigating your own hormonal changes, or raising tweens and teens, you will know exactly what I mean. And if you are the husband in this situation, firstly we see you, and secondly, this is your guide.

Because while this phase can feel chaotic, it is also incredibly normal, deeply human, and, if you lean into it, surprisingly powerful.

What It Feels Like for Mum

  There is a quiet shift that happens for women in this stage of life. It is not always loud or obvious at first, but it builds over time. You might feel more tired than usual, more reactive, less patient. Things that once rolled off your back now linger longer than they used to. You are holding the emotional load of the household, supporting your children through their own changes, and at the same time your body is doing its own thing behind the scenes.

And then layer on motherhood. You are not just managing your own emotions, you are absorbing everyone else’s too. You are the safe space, the sounding board, the regulator. You are helping your daughters understand feelings they cannot yet articulate, while also trying to make sense of your own. There is often a moment where you think, why does this feel harder than it used to? The answer is simple. Because it is.

Not because you are doing anything wrong, but because this stage asks more of you emotionally, physically and mentally. And yet, there is also something incredibly grounding about it. You start to care less about the noise, more about what actually matters. You become more direct, more aware, more protective of your energy. You are not losing yourself, you are recalibrating, even if it does not always feel like it in the moment.

What It Feels Like for Daughters

Now zoom out and look at it from their perspective. They are changing too, and often in ways they do not fully understand. Their bodies are evolving, their friendships are shifting, their sense of identity is forming in real time. One day they are confident and independent, the next they are back in your room needing reassurance.

It is not linear, and it is not always logical. The world they are growing up in is louder than ever, filled with comparison, stimulation and pressure. They are processing more than we ever did at their age, and often without the tools to manage it.

So when they snap, withdraw, cry or seem completely irrational, it is not because they are difficult. It is because they are learning. Learning how to regulate emotions, how to communicate, how to navigate relationships and how to understand themselves. And just like us, they do not always get it right.

What It Feels Like for Dad

Now let’s talk about the Dad in the middle of all of this, because this is often the piece that gets overlooked. From his perspective, it can feel like walking into a moving target. One moment everything is fine, the next the energy has shifted and he is not quite sure why.

He wants to help, but does not always know how. He might try to fix things, lighten the mood or retreat entirely just to avoid making it worse. And sometimes that creates even more tension, because what he sees as neutral or practical can feel dismissive to everyone else in the room.

It is not that he does not care. It is that he is wired differently. Men are often solution focused, while women and girls, especially in emotional moments, are connection focused. So when someone says, “it’s fine, don’t worry about it,” what they mean is, “I want to help.” But what is heard is, “you are overreacting.” And that is where things escalate.

Where It All Collides

This is the moment most households recognise. Mum is overwhelmed, one daughter is upset, the other is frustrated, and dad is trying to keep things calm. No one feels fully understood, and suddenly it is not about the cereal bowl anymore.

It is about feeling seen, heard and supported. The truth is, this dynamic is not broken, it is just busy. There are multiple emotional experiences happening at once, all valid and all competing for space. The goal is not to eliminate the chaos, it is to understand it.

A More Realistic Way to Navigate It

Let’s remove the idea that there is a perfect way to handle this stage, because there is not. But there are ways to make it feel less intense. Sometimes the simplest shift is naming what is happening. Saying something like, “I think we are all a bit overwhelmed right now,” can instantly soften a situation. It removes blame and creates space.

For mums, it is okay to acknowledge when you are stretched. You do not have to hold everything together all the time. Modelling that it is okay to feel and reset is powerful for your kids. For daughters, connection outside of conflict matters. The random chats, the car rides, the quiet moments before bed, these are often where they open up the most.

For dads, the biggest shift is understanding that not everything needs to be fixed. Sometimes the most supportive thing you can do is listen, validate and stay present, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Small Shifts That Make a Big Difference

You do not need a complete system overhaul, just a few small adjustments can change the tone of your home. Pausing before reacting gives everyone space to think. Timing matters more than we realise, and conversations land differently depending on when they happen. Creating space, even briefly, can reset the entire dynamic.

Lowering the bar also helps. Not every day needs to run perfectly, and not every moment needs to be managed. Most importantly, assume positive intent. Most of the time, no one is trying to make things harder. They are just trying to get through the moment.

The Unexpected Upside

As intense as this stage can feel, there is something quietly powerful happening underneath it. You are raising emotionally aware humans. Your daughters are learning how to express themselves, navigate conflict and understand emotions in a real way.

You are evolving as a parent, learning how to communicate differently and show up in new ways. And your partner is learning how to support in a way that might not have been required before. This is growth, even when it feels messy.

The Final Word

One husband, three hormonal females. It sounds like a joke, and sometimes it is, but it is also real life. A phase filled with growth, learning, connection and yes, a fair bit of chaos.

You will not always get it right. There will be moments you wish you handled differently, conversations that escalate and days that feel heavier than others. But there will also be laughter, connection and those small moments where everything just clicks.

Because at the end of the day, this is not about surviving each other. It is about learning how to live with each other in a way that feels real, supportive and human.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and experiences shared are our own.