Dealing with Parental Stress
The Pandemic came and blew up the routines of people the world over. People who find themselves struggle to get back to a sense of ‘normal.’
If you’re a parent, you’re used to that sense of disruption. When you least expect it, something comes along and your routine goes for a toss. Raising your children, at times, can feel as though you might be scaling Everest!
If you’re looking for how to deal with Parental Stress, you’ve come to the right place. But first, an exploration of the Causes of Stress in parents, to better understand how you can get back to the rewarding part of parenting.
The Causes of Stress In Parents
Are you stressed at work? Well, that stress is not going to magically disappear when you return home and find your kids fighting with each other. Or when you discover your child has a fever that shows no signs of going down.
Right from the sleepless newborn stage to the rebellious teenage years, parenting stress will perpetually claw its way into your life. The types of parenting stress are varied. Sometimes it can be a combination of things that makes that stress appear even worse than it is.
Here are some of the factors that make parenting stress even worse.
- Unpredictable events. These include being laid off, an accident, or even death in the family.
- Daily life. Life itself is stressful. We witness this every single day, as we navigate our way through a world that is largely out of our control.
- No time for self-care. Self-care is paramount for stressed people, but as a parent you might find yourself wondering, ‘Where’s the time for it?’
- Work Stress. This is one of the main stressors parents have to deal with, and with good reason. If you don’t hold on to your job, how will you support your child?
- Problems with your Spouse. When your equation with your spouse is off balance, parenting stress seems all the more unbearable.
Stress Relief For Parents
Here’s the part you’ve been eagerly waiting for, right? Luckily for you, this section covers all the vital tips that will aid in stress management for parents.
Can’t wait to get to them? Read on!
Deep Breathing
Most of us don’t breathe properly, parents included. One of the most effective methods of stress relief for parents is learning to breathe properly. Luckily, it’s not that difficult.
The Fix: Lying down in a comfortable place, put your hands on your abdomen, just below your ribs. Start breathing slowly and deeply. If you’re breathing correctly, you will feel the expansion in your abdominal area before your rib cage expands.
Note: You want to spend 5 to 10 minutes several times a day doing this.
Try not to bring work home
Separating your work life from your personal life is difficult, but not impossible.
The Fix: Finish off any pending work in office hours itself, instead of leaving it to do at home. Listen to some calming music on the drive home. Make sure you give your child a tight hug when you’re back.
Prepare for the Morning, the Evening before
Those ‘rushed-up mornings’ are a surefire way to jumpstart your daily dose of stress. Nipping that stress in the bud, then, is a great idea.
The Fix: Prepare for the next morning the night before, through simple tasks like making lunches and setting aside clothes you plan wearing.
Seek out Opportunities for Fun with your kids
Managing your child need not be a task. Instead, it should bring joy to both you and your little one.
The Fix: Try and find a sport that you and your child enjoy playing together. You could even read to your kids from a book and then discuss what you have read with them. Certainly, one of the best techniques for stress management for parents.
Don’t rely on your Memory
Goofing up with the simplest tasks can increase that parenting stress. Ensure you make a list of all things like appointment times and when to pick up the library books. A sense of planning will go a long way in preventing undue parenting stress.
Relax and Recharge
As a doting parent, you need to set aside some invaluable ‘Me-time’. This will not only relax you, but see you recharged to the point where you can take care of your child better.
The Fix: Indulge in some yoga or read a book after dinner. You could even play a sport. Don’t feel guilty about the time you spend away from your child. You have earned it, after all!
Connect with fellow parents
You have to know you’re not the sole passenger in the rocky Parenting Boat. The best way to do that, is connecting with fellow parents.
The Fix: Make a conscious attempt to get friendly with other parents. When you get to know them better, you will see they are going through the same problems as you. This will help normalize those strong feelings of stress you might be going through.
Always set up Contingency Plans
You might think you have it all sorted, but trouble might be lurking right round the corner!
The Fix: Set up contingency plans, or ‘just in case plans’, for when things go wrong. For instance, you could tell your child that if they get separated from you in the shopping mall, they have to wait for you outside the McDonald’s on the ground floor.
Ask for Backup
In your constant effort to be Super Dad or Supermom, you might find yourself making a mess of seemingly ordinary tasks.
The Fix: Take a step back. Ask your spouse or other family members for their support. You’ll be thankful you did.
At EuroKids it is our belief that parents who deal with stress in unhealthy ways risk passing those behaviors on to their children. It is therefore vital to manage your stress through effective parenting tips so that you can enjoy the journey of parenting and maintain a safe and happy home for your child.
