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Tag: Children Issues

Stress-Free Parenting Isn’t a Myth–You’re Just Doing It Wrong

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

We’ve heard it all before. Parenting is stressful and it takes the life out of you. It makes you feel tired at the end of a long day and it makes you struggle to manage your own personal goals. You think about your kids all day and it becomes difficult when they start causing trouble for you. It’s understandable and completely believable that you sometimes just want to dump your children with a babysitterand have a fun night out.

Although it’s completely acceptable to do that once in a while, there are actually other ways to help lower your stress when dealing with children. In this article, we’ll be talking about stress-free parenting and why it’s not a myth, but a completely achievable reality.

Source: Pexels

1. Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is underrated. Quality sleepis essential for helping you boost your confidence, keep your energy levels high and also help you recharge after a long day. Sleep can help regulate your mood, it can improve your focus, it can bolster your memory and it can help you fight back against illnesses. Taking afternoon naps is fine, but you’ll want to make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. If you’re being woken up by a noisy child then learn to accept it. You can make up for lost sleep in the afternoon. If your job is affecting your ability to get quality sleep, then it may be time to take a day or two off just to give yourself a break. 

2. Get rid of stress triggers

Stress can cause a number of different problems such as mental health issues, physical health issues, developing addictions and even becoming easily irritable. The last thing you want is to start shouting at your kids or even your partner, so it’s important to get rid of stress triggers. This article titled “Tips To Reduce Daily Life Stress Triggers In Addiction Recovery” will be a great guide to help you reduce your stress if you’re personally recovering from an addiction and find that having children has caused you to slump back into old depressive habits. 

3. Simplify things

Keep things simple when you’re with your kids. Don’t take on more than you can handle and always streamline things. Using food preparation to help you cut down on long cooking times, stick to a schedule so that you know where you are in your day and always try to reduce the number of responsibilities you have. It’s completely normal to split your obligations with your partner and you might even find it helpful to ask your kids to learn to do simple house chores such as making the bed.

Source: Pexels 

4. Stop focusing on perfection 

The “perfect” parenting voice in your head is only making things harder for you. You might feel like you’re not good enough for your children, you might get frustrated that other parents are doing better than you and it can easily spiral out of control. Don’t aim to become the perfect parent that does everything in the best way possible–someone like that doesn’t exist. What’s actually important is that you love your children and that you’re doing everything in your power to make their life comfortable as well as taking care of your own health.

5. Keep yourself active

Exercise is actually one of the best ways to keep yourself fit, focused and motivated. It’s also one of the best ways to fight against stress. Not everyone loves to go to the gym every morning, so it’s important to just add bits of physical activityhere and there to help you cope with your responsibilities. This can include walking to work instead of taking public transport, it could involve cycling with your kids or even going out to a park to play with your children.

6. Remember to have fun 

You should also remember to have more fun. Far too many parents think of their daily tasks as some must-do list and they forget that they can have fun with their tasks. If you’re cleaning the kitchen, then put the radio on or some music and enjoy yourself. You can also learn to have more fun on a regular basis with your kids. If they’re playing video games, try and get interested in the same games and play with them. This can help you connect with your children and even create some friendly competition that will tighten your bond. 

7. Ask for help

Remember that you’re not alone in parenting. Whether it’s calling for a local babysitter to help you look after the kids or visiting a support group for single parents, there’s plenty of help out there if you’re willing to accept it. Trying to do everything yourself will only lead to disaster, so be more mindful of how you approach parenting and realize that you’re not alone. 

8. Stop multitasking

Far too many people focus on multitasking to helpthem complete more tasks in a single day. This is sadly counterproductive and it’s much better to focus on completing single tasks. Think of it this way; trying to do five things at once will only increase the time it takes to finish each task. If you just do each thing individually, then you’ll complete them faster and with less stress on your mind because you’re only focusing on a single thing. 

If you live a fast-paced life and find it difficult to keep up with parenting, then it’s a good idea to take a step back and look at these eight points that we’ve just described. If you find yourself failing to do one or the other, then it’s worth taking a good look at your life and realizing where you’ve gone wrong and what you can do to improve yourself. As frustrating as parenting can be at times, it’s important to deal with all of the problems one by one so that you can live a stress-free life and raising wonderful children.

 

Why Isn’t My Child Meeting Important Milestones?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Image source

 

If you’re worried about your child because they always seem to be the last of their peers to reach certain milestones like saying their first words or developing motor skills, chances are there is nothing to worry about and they’re just doing things in their own time.

 

Although there are guidelines as to when kids should reach their important milestones, they are far from art in stone, and many kids will take a lot longer than predicted. That does not mean that there is anything to worry about. However, sometimes, there will be an underlying issue that could be keeping them back and you will need to address those.

 

Here are some of the most common reasons why milestones are not met to put your mind at ease and/or ensure that you get the necessary help for your child:

 

Hearing Loss

 

Depending on which stats you look at, between 2-3 of every 1000 children experiences hearing lossto some degree and this can lead to them not hitting important milestones such as developing speech. On average, children can speak between 30 and 50 words by the time they are 21 months old, with most speaking for the first time at least by the time they are 18 months old. If your child has not reached that target, but they understand speech well, it may just be that they are a late bloomer. However, if they don’t appear to understand what you’re saying, let alone being able to speak themselves, it could be that they can’t hear you well enough to do so and they may need a hearing aid or other treatments for which you will need to see a good ENT.

 

Asthma

 

If your child is able to speak, but they do not speak “correctly” and have trouble sounding out words, it could be that they are suffering from asthmawhich can make controlling the air they breath out difficult, thus making it harder to produce the right sounds. If you suspect this could be the case, seeing a doctor should be a priority.

 

Poor Muscle Tone

 

If you’re a worried parentbecause your child isn’t crawling at 8 months and hasn’t taken their first steps between 11-12 months, don’t panic yet. Is your child a little less chubby than the other babies? Does he or she have more weight on the upper body than the lower? It could be that weaker muscle tone and a top-heavy body are making it harder for them to do what they will eventually do given time – nothing to worry about.

Temperament

 

If your baby isn’t walking as soon as you think they should be, or they aren’t developing other motor skillsas quickly as their peers, it could also be that their temperament is the problem. You see, babies and toddlers who are more easily frustrated will push themselves to do things faster and more efficiently than babies who aren’t easily frustrated, simply so they can do what they want to do more easily. This, again, is nothing much to worry about.

 

Most of the time, when kids don’t hit their milestones as fast as you think they should, there’s no problem, but if they miss lots of milestones and they simply don’t appear to be making progress, you absolutely need to see a doctor because it could be the sign of a more serious illness or disorder. Your doctor should always be your first port of call!

Empty Nest Syndrome: 5 Ways To Live Your Life When The Kids Have Gone

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Goodbye for now (source)

It’s the moment many parents dread: the day when the kids leave home and start a new life of their own elsewhere. They have flown the nest, and the poor parents are left behind to pick up the pieces. Either that or they finally breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to having the house to themselves again.

If you are suffering from empty nest syndrome, there is helpful advice online on how to deal with the grieving process. You may also benefit from speaking to a counsellor if you are particularly struggling with the loneliness you feel now that the kids have gone. Of course, life isn’t over for you, and you are more than just a parent. Rather than dwell in sorrow for too long, take the time to start living your life for yourself again.

Here are five ways to live your life after the kids have flown the nest.

1. Go back to work

You may have given up work to have children, so consider getting back into the career you started years ago. Alternatively, think about something where you can use your parenting skills, such as a career in nursing. Going back to school can be scary if you have been out of education, but courses such as the master’s in nursing education can be done online and at home.

2. Reconnect with your partner

Having kids takes its toll on any relationship, so now is the time to fall back in love with your partner all over again. You probably sat at home and stressed about the kids together when they were still at home, and you are likely to do this now they’ve left. Stop it! Spend time with your partner doing the things you both enjoy doing, and create new experiences together that are all about the two of you, and nothing to do with the children.

3. Meet new people

Whether you go it alone, or bring your partner with you, find ways to meet other people. Sites such as Meetup.com will direct you to groups and places where you can make new friends of any age. Not only that, but you can take part in some fantastic new hobbies that will distract you from any empty nest feelings you are suffering from.

4. Do something with the house

What you do with your house is up to you, but you may want to empty your kid’s room and use it for something new. You might want to convert it into a study, guest bedroom, or a den, as possible examples. Redecorate it as you want, and you may find the change of decor helps you to deal with your happy but grief-stricken memories of time at home with the kids. You will never forget your children, but constant reminders are bound to trigger your tear ducts for a while.

5. Look after yourself

You won’t feel good about yourself if you are stuck in empty nest syndrome. Sitting at home on the couch all day, with a box of chocolates in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, is not going to do much to help your mood. Instead, focus on a healthy lifestyle, such as joining a gym or a dance class to get your body into shape. Not only will you benefit your body, but the ‘feel good’ chemicals released during exercise will be good for your mind, as well.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

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