Parenting usually comes with a lot of pressure.
You have to make sure you’re doing your best to raise happy and healthy kids while maintaining your own life and relationships at the same time.
At times, all that is hard to do with a genuine smile. In fact, many parents struggle to enjoy parenting so the truth is you’re not alone.
The good thing is that there are some strategies that can help you reduce stress and appreciate parenthood more.
Below you will find five suggestions to try that might just work for you:
1. Find healthy ways to handle stress
Parenting can be very hectic, especially during those initial stages of your child’s life. A few can manage to handle everything comfortably but for many, the stress is just too overwhelming.
While stress is unavoidable, you can try and figure out ways to deal with it. This could be scheduling meet-ups or video calls with your friends, working out a few times a week or going for an evening walk with your partner every day. You need to prioritize this because it’s necessary for your own well-being.
2. Don’t stress over everything
Besides finding healthy ways to cope with stress, it’s wise to choose your battles carefully. Some of the problems you’re dealing with might actually stem from a need to be perfect and to raise perfect kids which aren’t possible.
Remember that kids will be kids so they will do things that you might not like all the time. The only difference that can make you have an easier time is deciding what you allow to trigger you. That way you will forgive quickly and embrace both the highs and lows of parenting.
3. Ask for help
Regardless of how hard you try to balance everything, you will reach your limits. And when you get to that point, every single day will be a miserable one.
So, for you to maintain your peace and have enough time to recover, ask for help. You could hire a nanny or figure out a plan with a family member so that you won’t have to struggle alone. With someone there to ease some of that pressure, you will start to appreciate parenting more.
4. Make chores fun
Getting your kids to participate in doing chores isn’t always easy. But the trick is to make chores fun so that they help you out around the house and also learn how to be responsible.
You can come up with creative ideas that will trick them into actually having fun with it. You could try buying some interesting cleaning gadgets that they will be excited about, like a colourful broom set or, come up with a reward system where your kids can compete to win a prize.
5. Celebrate the small wins
Life is beautiful when you notice the small joys every day. You don’t have to wait for major milestones for you to see something positive.
If for example, your child organizes their toys well for the first time, acknowledge it. This will create a positive environment where both you and the kids can be happier.
