4 Tips For Handling Parenthood When It Gets Stressful

Parenting isn’t always easy.  Sometimes you might feel like you’re herding little dinosaurs more than raising humans.  It takes an enormous amount of patience and compassion to deal with children’s colorful moods and personalities, especially if you have multiple children.

Dealing with your stress as a parent is important.  If you continue to take it all in without having a healthy outlet, you risk suffering an eventual burnout.  You may potentially develop destructive behavior which risks damaging your children’s mental well-being.

Next time your children are circling around you, one is screaming, and the other has spread peanut butter all over your couch, turn to these methods to keep your cool.

Self-Care

Don’t forget that you also need some good old tender loving care.  Busy parents trying to do the best for their kids tend to give to their children first yet neglect their own needs.  Don’t forget to practice what you preach and give yourself the same care that you would your children.

Feed yourself good foods, get plenty of sleep, and for goodness sake take a shower! You deserve it too!  Taking a minute to give back to yourself in a moment of stress will often bring you back down to a state of calm.

Go For a Walk

Sometime when your children are being extra difficult, you may feel like there’s no way to escape the madness.  Everywhere you go in the house, there they are.  You can’t go to the bathroom in private; you can forget about taking a shower alone, and don’t even think about starting to eat something without little fingers reaching for your plate.

Sometimes all you need is a little peace and quiet.  Stepping outside and taking a walk to cool off can be just what the doctor ordered.  Taking a moment to gather your thoughts and exist outside of the role of being a parent can be very therapeutic.

See Friends

Don’t forget that you were a person before you were a parent! You have needs and desires too.  Always make time to nurture your relationships and have a laugh once in a while.  Get a babysitter and go out for a night with adults.

Sometimes letting loose for an evening without having to worry about anyone but yourself will usually motivate you to keep going and calm down after a long day with the kids.

Take Breaths When the going gets particularly tough, it’s essential to slow down before you say or do something that you’ll regret.  Stepping away from a tantrum or crying baby for a moment and taking a few deep breaths can often calm you down significantly. “