The Balanced Life, Huntsville Alabama

Happy Labor Day all! Being a parent is a true labor of love, heavy on the labor and the love.

Parents often find themselves asking the question “am I doing the right thing?” or “am I getting this right?” I hear it frequently from parents of clients, parents I know personally, and I even question myself from time to time. Even the most laid back and confident parents questions themselves from time to time. Even though most decisions we make for our children are not life or death, it can certainly feel that way. Below are some ways to cope with the stress of parenting.

Instead of questioning if you’re getting it right focus on the things you know you are succeeding at as a parent.

Children and adolescences notice what your get right just as much as when you get it wrong. They are quick to forgive their parents’ mistakes and will love you despite your shortcomings. Let them see you show yourself the same compassion.  

Take time for yourself.

This is a tough one for parents. The logistics of carving out ‘me time” is difficult and it’s easy to feel selfish when doing some for yourself. You’ve seen this before in my other blogs and if you have ever had a conversation with me regarding self-care you have heard me say, “You cannot pour from an empty vessel”.

Follow your gut

Parenting should feel more intuitive than laborious. Do what you feel is best for your children, lifestyle, and family. Parenting is not “one size fits all” is varies from child to child and family to family.

When in doubt Google and/or phone a friend

However, when our intuition isn’t enough it is necessary to recruit help. Tap into your supportive resources of family, friends, and occasionally Google.

Learn by Example

Call upon great parenting examples in your life and model some of their methods and behaviors. This doesn’t necessarily have to be your own parents or whomever raised you.

Accept the fact there are no perfect parents

Most of all, realizing there are no perfect parents releases us from trying to get it right all of the time. Be the best parent YOU can be. Children are resilient and will survive most parenting missteps. For the big missteps there’s always therapy (LOL shameless plug)

If you find yourself struggling with the pressures of parents or of life in general please do not hesitate to reach out to us at The Balanced Life LLC (256)258-7777 ext 105.