Best Self Family Post
Dear Parents, You Come First
4/12/22
If you’re feeling a bit of parenting burnout or just interested in best parenting practices, it may be a good time to stop and reflect. There are some parenting behaviors we fall into without intent, especially when stressed. A little reflection can go a long way for positive change.
Your self-care, your past experiences, and your awareness are all important elements of your everyday parenting decisions. I often refer to the advice given during airplane travel: put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.
Parenting comes along with its many challenges and many rewards. After a long day of taking care of the kids, working, attending to household chores etc., you must feel exhausted! When we reach a point of exhaustion and stress, we may get overwhelmed and become more reactive. Sometimes this displays itself as yelling, nagging or over correcting your child. All of which is completely normal. However, to foster a healthy and positive relationship with your child, it is ideal to become more self-aware of your feelings and reactions.
When you find yourself engaging in behaviors mentioned above, ask yourself what you need at that moment. Whether it is taking a deep breath, going on a walk, meditating, taking a break can help you reset. Tell your partner or support system what you need without guilt for doing so. Easier said than done sometimes, but you may find yourself spread too thin again and again - until you prioritize it.
To continue fostering a healthy relationship with your child, taking care of yourself must come first. Being able to identify your own emotions and triggers, can help you better understand and empathize with your child. It is encouraged to share your feelings with your child to demonstrate to them that it is normal and ok to feel a certain way at any given time. Lead by example. Prove to your child that it is healthy to talk about emotions and process them with a trusted adult. This will make your child feel understood and safe, which will likely encourage them to seek support from you in the future.