Today’s parenting help revolves around parenting stress and ways to stress less while traveling the parenting path, so you can be at your best as a parent.
Being a good parent is not an easy road and it wreaks havoc on stress levels. In fact, parenting, while so important to our children’s future, is one of the areas that professionals say causes the most stress in a person’s life. Parents worry about their future and that of their children, if they are doing a good job, finances, future goals, parenting techniques, safety and well-being of their children, their health, the health of their children, trying to keep up with the incorporation of a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their children, meeting the demands of raising children and the demands of their children, cooking, maintaining the house and, above all, worrying about providing their children certain comforts they might not have had when they were little, and not making the same mistakes their parents made, and let’s not forget the automatic guilt that comes with parenting, whether it’s justified or not. Quite a list, don’t you think?
This level of stress in so many areas of daily life can lead good parents to an overwhelming state of mind, causing a state of unhappiness and agitation, which definitely affects a person’s well-being. This can interfere with parents being at their best for their children, their partner, and themselves. It’s not fair, we have such an important job, but responsibility comes with an enormous amount of stress that actually ends up undermining our abilities. Too much stress takes away from us and therefore drives our children away. Turn stress around, don’t let it change who you are as a person or as a parent. Take these 15 secrets and use them to beat your stress.
1. One thing we have today is that perhaps our parents did not have a number of ways to reduce stress. USE THEM, USE THEM! Find the one that best suits you and dedicate yourself to calming your mind and body. Consider regular exercise, meditation techniques, yoga, outings with friends where you can be who you used to be before having your children. Taking time for yourself is invaluable and it isn’t long before you can feel the value in your life and your upbringing.
2. Reach out and take advantage of the wonderful information that is available to help you be a good parent and help you through difficult times in parenting. Other moms and dads have a lot to share and you will find that they alone have more to offer in information than just the professionals. Don’t let this information go to waste. Milk all that is worth.
3. Feeling overwhelmed is a common trait of parenting. Don’t ignore it, instead seek help to conquer it before it gets out of control. Forget what people might think, these people are going through the same thing as you and, like you, they don’t want anyone to know how difficult it is to be parents; this is a very common human trait. Smart parents are the ones who get help when they need it, and because of it, they are better parents and partners.
4. When you feel like you are going into anger mode, breathe in for a count of ten as you slowly breathe out. Breathe slowly and controlled.
5. Take time each day to have a conversation with your child and develop good communication. This helps prevent conflict and helps the child behave better, thus avoiding parental stress.
6. Keep your passions in your life. Don’t let go of the things you love and need to keep smiling and thriving. Having children does not mean neglecting yourself or your needs.
7. Maintain a social life with and without your partner. Having people you can relate to in your life is a gift. People need other people to share and trust for whatever reason. Do not close yourself off from the world and live only in the land of mommy or daddy. You are an adult, with wants and needs.
8. Be realistic in your expectations of your children. Be aware of child rearing, the areas of maturity that span the tough times, and start with them so you don’t feel overwhelmed and surprised when they fall on you. Being prepared helps a person feel in control.
9. Avoid parental mistakes to avoid unnecessary parental stress.
10. Get a good night’s sleep. If you’re not sleeping well, take the appropriate steps to fix the problem. Don’t put it down and think it is part of parenting. It is not. Good sleep is of great importance to the way the brain works during the day. Not getting enough sleep is a stressor on its own.
11. Don’t ignore your health. If you have a recurring physical problem or illness, no matter how scared you may be, you need to bite the bullet, face your fear, and address the problem. Remember that not everything is life-threatening and that most diseases can be treated and corrected. In the back of your mind you will be stressed out by an illness or a health problem that you are not addressing. By addressing it, you will fix it and deal with it, which is better than ignoring it and then having something to worry about later.
12. Don’t drink more than you can handle. If you are feeling overwhelmed with one child, make an informed decision about when or if you will have another. Don’t let your pregnancies pile up on you if you’re not bent over that way. Take your time and don’t let anything or anyone push you in a direction you are not prepared for.
13. If you have marital problems, address them. Don’t let them build up and don’t let them get the best of you. Remember, too, that your children will learn partnering on their own from the examples you and your partner set, so tackle marital problems and resolve them. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help if you think you need it. Professional marriage assistance is extremely common and you may feel lonely, but believe me you are not. It’s just one of those things that everyone hides.
14. Don’t compare yourself to other parents and families. We all have different circumstances. What you might think looks so good in another family could very well be just an act because everyone wants to see themselves as the perfect parent in front of other parents. Every couple has their problems and every parent has their strengths and weaknesses. In today’s society, people don’t want to share their flaws, they just want to appear perfect.
15. Be aware of areas in childhood that cause problems in a child’s behavior, such as poor diet, poor sleeping habits, and too much television, to name a few. These areas that cause misbehavior will only add stress to your life and cause unnecessary friction as you try to control the behavior. There is already a long time when, as a parent, you will have to deal with the bad behavior of your children, it is no longer necessary to add.
Parental stress is part of parental turf, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do what it takes to limit this stress as much as possible and do the things necessary to help you perform well under stress and duress. Take as much parenting stress out of the bud as you can, less stress and parenting at its best.