Overcoming the Challenges of Family Life

As adults, we look at kids laughing and playing outside with friends or riding their bike down the road and think, oh, how nice it would be to be a kid again with no worries. We say such things because, over the years, we have forgotten that we as kids did indeed have concerns; they have just faded with time. Of course, our anxieties were different from our parents, but still, the feelings were real. As a well-meaning parent, I’m sure you want to protect your anxious child from their fears. But, you’ll want to be careful not to overprotect them because that can actually make anxiety worse. So here are some things you can do to help your child’s anxiety.  

If I could only give one piece of parenting advice for new parents, it would be this. Take one day at a time. Yes, you will make mistakes. Learn to forgive yourself. And trust your instincts. No one knows your baby as you do.

The joys of parenting are plentiful. But parents also know parenting entails many hard days and difficult times as well. Sometimes it can seem that the hardships start outweighing the joyful moments. And in your weariness, you wonder if  you’re doing something wrong or if you were “blessed” with extra naughty kids.  Well, rest assured, you aren’t the only parent going through these frustrating times. And to prove that, I’m going to share some good parenting quotes to let you know you’re not alone in your struggles.

Calm parenting—is there such a thing? The short answer is yes, there is. But, it comes with some effort and the skill of managing yourself. Will there be mistakes along the way? The answer to that is also yes. 

As a rule, families are a wonderful thing. It usually means having someone who loves you unconditionally despite of your shortcomings—also, a place of comfort, refuge, and support. And yet, even in the most loving of families, there are bound to be conflicts. And when family conflicts remain unresolved, they can be a breeding ground for stress, anxiety, and frustration. 

It’s been said that being a parent is the most demanding and rewarding job you’ll ever have. And I can truthfully say for me, that turned out to be true. How about you? I know when I was in the thick of raising my little ones, there were days that the parenting stress had me wanting to pull my hair out. But now that my children are all grown, I remember the rewards of raising them way more than I remember the stress I felt at the time.

Have you ever wondered how to move forward after bad parenting moments? Maybe you lost control and lashed out in anger at your child. Or out of frustration, you doled out a punishment that was too harsh. Or perhaps you neglected to meet a legitimate need your child was trying to express to you. 

Not to excuse it, but rest assured we’ve all been there, done that. Every parent has moments where they lose their cool and react in a less-than-stellar way.  

Throughout all of your preparations to becoming a parent, I’m going to lay odds that never in your wildest imaginations would you have thought one day you would be googling for information about parenting during a pandemic. And yet, here you are. 

When you sign up to become a parent, you know it’s not going to be all sunshine and roses. You might think you’re prepared, but after the third night of no sleep, you realize just how overwhelming this whole parenting thing is going to be—and that’s just the beginning. You might have gotten a clue talking with others who had kids, but until you experienced it first hand, you couldn’t fully grasp what they were talking about. Well, now you know. And I’m going to share with you a few ways on how to stop feeling overwhelmed by parenting, so keep reading.

So the question of the day is, “As a parent, is it normal that I feel overwhelmed all the time?” And the short answer is, “Yes!” People can feel overwhelmed all by themselves. But when they become responsible for other little human beings, that feeling will ramp up rather quickly.

“Being a parent is like folding a fitted sheet; no one really knows how.”