How Should Parents Deal with Stress and Anxiety?
While there are many other things we can do to cope with stress and anxiety, these tips are the foundation of stress management for parents.
Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in Children
by Fiona Wood
We’re living in a very hectic world, which means the levels of stress and anxiety are quite often too high for our own good. These feelings come as a consequence of our insecurity, uncertainty, or any other objective and subjective reasons. One of the roles which make us stressed is parenting. No matter how much we love our kids and how much we wanted them, there is always this amazing feeling of responsibility that we feel and that some of us often find just too overwhelming. Since we can’t remove this kind of responsibility, the only thing we can and should do is learn how to recognize stressful situations and develop coping mechanisms. Below are just some of the tips that should help all parents, but especially those with little or no experience in parenting.
How does your anxiety affect your kid?
The stress we carry around daily affect not only us but all those around us as well, and there is no-one closer to you than your kid. While we might accept the fact that modern parents are now expected to do more and better than ever before, we should also appreciate that our failure to manage stress and anxiety will have a profound effect on our kids. Scientific studies have shown that stress is contagious between children and their parents or caregivers. Amazingly, your one-year-old can mirror its mother’s bodily stress responses, such as increased heart rate!
Another point worth remembering is that our tendency to find comfort in food when dealing with stress can lead to weight gain in our young children. That’s why it’s vital we learn how to deal with stressful situations if we can’t avoid them in the first place. Being able to cope with such negative emotions is beneficial to both our health and the health of our kids. Finally, our kids learn from us how to deal with stress. If we show them how it’s done, they’ll be more successful in both their private and professional life when they grow up.
Seeking Help for Stress
Apart from the expected ones, parenting comes with many unexpected challenges, which might be subtle, but can still push us over the edge. When problems pile up in our lives, it doesn’t take much to succumb to all that pressure. While some parents can recognize such situations and realize they need help, others are too reluctant to do so for several possible reasons. However, regardless of whether they have trust issues or are simply too proud to show any sign of weakness, they’re making a huge mistake. Admitting that you need help and surrounding yourself with people who understand you and want nothing but the best for you is crucial. Just like women having trouble conceiving turn to women in a similar position through helpful forums, you need to find the right kind of help for your problem. Going through a rough patch is normal and you shouldn’t hesitate to seek help.
Turning Negative into Positive
A lot has been said about the power of positive thinking. We all know how much we can change our perspective if we simply take a different point of view or attitude towards life. By accepting that we’ll occasionally find ourselves having nothing but negative thoughts, we’re actually making the first step towards dealing with problems. The next one is to strive to replace such thoughts with positive ones. We should apply the same method when it comes to bringing kids up. If we help them use positive thoughts and language around events like tests, tournaments, and competitions, they’ll be under much less stress, which will certainly be reflected in their approach and results.
While there are many other things we can do to cope with stress and anxiety, these tips are the foundation of stress management for parents. Being successful at it means we’ll be able to be the best parents we can, which is the most important thing after all.
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About the Author
Fiona is a lifestyle blogger based in Melbourne, Australia. She’s in love with good coffee, croissants, and fashion magazines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and travels around the world. You can read more from her on her blog High Style Life.
