Looking Forward To Gentle Parenting? Learn How To Deal With Parenting Stress
Last Update on May 18, 2023 : Published on May 19, 2023
We all might have seen a trending reel on Instagram… “Gentle parenting is for gentle kids…”
Well, it’s true, gentle parenting is really tough especially when your patience level has reached a saturation level! Adjusting to a toddler’s routine is a major challenge for me… it’s no wonder that we all parents reportedly face challenges in terms of routines, habits, misbehaviors, positive reinforcement, and whatnot! This chaos developed parenting stress in me.
After all this, we definitely need a dose of stress-free time wherein we can refresh our minds and bodies to attain the “principles of gentle parenting” for our hyperactive kids! In this blog, I have enlisted some effective tips to deal with parenting stress and anxiety on a regular basis. The tips mentioned in this blog are self-tested to provide you with a moment of relaxation and deal with parental stress.
Signs of Parenting Stress
Below are some of the common signs of parenting stress:
- You both feel exhausted or always tired to perform regular chores.
- You both feel helpless or hopeless most of the time
- You both or one partner constantly complain of physical aches and pain (muscle aches, headaches, or more).
- You both experience a lack of motivation.
- Your sleeping and eating cycles are highly disturbed.
- You both completely feel detached from the real world.
- You both persist the isolating behaviors.
Difference Between Parenting Stress & Distress
If you’re constantly worried about your child’s behavior, safety concerns, development, and growth, know that it’s completely normal to feel so. Parenting stress really hits when we are mostly overwhelmed with negative feelings. When these feelings transform into stress, depression, or anxiety, you might be distressed. In such cases, it’s always better to connect with a mental health professional to raise your child positively!
Now, let’s explore the differences between parenting stress and distress for proper understanding and finding the right solution for your stress.
| Parenting Stress | Distress |
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Causes of Parenting Stress
The impacts of parenting stress can be really negative in that they can disturb your professional and personal life. The fact is that the parenting journey is full of ups and downs and we really need to brace ourselves for the challenges coming ahead. Below listed are some of the causes of parenting stress:
- Disciplining children-related problems
- Childhood personality development disorder
- Anxiety and stress at work
- Issues with maintaining work-life balance
- The mental load of daily work
- Lack of familial or social support
- Extra caring for elderly parenting al
- ong with toddlers
- Parental burnout
- Financial stress and anxiety
- Conflict with a partner or other caregiver
Tips to Deal with Parenting Stress
1. Keep the stress aside and enjoy “me-time”
Some situations get so messy that it’s better to take a step back, relax, and recharge to improve them. When your mind is filled with negative thoughts or when you are having mental exhaustion, decompress to relieve stress. You can take some time for yourself, watch TV, read books, or do whatever makes you mindful. Enjoying “me-time” is one of the best and most effective ways to deal with parenting stress.
2. Make activity
If you’re dealing with a toddler, try to make them learn something new, make the activity creative, colorful, or funnier so they can understand what you’re trying to teach. Don’t be too harsh on them and yourself, and try to achieve small steps together. To seek opportunities together, you can enroll in sports, read new books together, go cycling, or do whatever is needed to make your teachings successful.
3. Keep your professional and personal life separate
If you’re a working parent, please keep your work life separate, and don’t ever bring the work stress or burnout home. Such stress can negatively impact your children as well, therefore, do not redirect the negative energy to your family, and always be aware of your feelings. For example, whenever I come back from work, I mentally prepare myself with new energies so that I can focus on my toddler’s growth too… it really works in dealing with the parenting stress for me.
4. Always prepare a backup plan
In case of extreme burnout and exhaustion, always prepare a backup plan. The backup plan may revolve around connecting with your caretakers or guardians when you’re not mentally available for the kids, decision-making when you’re not in balance, or interacting with people who support you in challenging times.
5. Connect with your friends to normalize your feelings
If you’re not in touch with other fellow parents, please connect with them so that you both can relate to the emotions and feel better that you’re not alone! Well, it’s a fact that every toddler parent is floating in the same boat and sometimes it gets out of the situation. Connecting with a fellow parent can bring the motivation back. Additionally, they might share some effective tips to deal with parenting stress that works for everyone!
6. Balance your life with self-care
If your child is an infant, toddler, or preschooler, do not overschedule your weekdays and take out a specific hour during weekends for relaxation. In order to keep your life balanced, you can include physical activities, yoga, or meditation in your routines to avoid burnout. Additionally, taking some time for yourself and relaxing can increase the joy of parenting and remove the parenting stress permanently from your life!
7. Develop good habits together
Avoid always being focused on emotions; instead, create healthy boundaries and expectations so that you can enjoy parenthood with your family. Try to induce a positive disciplinary framework in both of you so that you both can establish rules and boundaries. It also helps in honoring your child’s emotional needs.
8. Savor the moment and enjoy each milestone
Our children are growing each day and they achieve small things every day. Some are learning to crawl while some are standing on their own feet, and some are trying to speak small words! Do not let the parenting stress overpower this and learn to savor the moment so that you can enjoy the small milestones of your kids.
9. Lift your mood with good music
Is your child a Cocomelon lover? Well, turn off Cocomelon for some time, play motivational songs, and wiggle your bodies together. Ask your children to join in, show them some classic movies, and seek the benefits of dancing and listening to music together to live your overall well-being.
10. Seek support and have open conversations about your feelings
If you’re feeling exhausted right now, know that small talk or opening up about your feelings is a great stress-relieving technique. Having honest conversations about your emotions and feelings can help you validate your mental health problems. Try to have open communication with your spouse, partner, friend, or family member to promote a sense of calm.
You can also connect with a mental health provider to learn calming techniques and remove parenting stress or anxiety permanently. To connect with a mental health professional , click below:
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Key Takeaway: Taking the “Parental Stress Index” Screening Test
Key Takeaways
Parenting Stress Index screening text is a 120-question test that is specially developed to measure stress in parents. It is one of the most effective screening tools to test the parent-child relationship. This test is often used by families or parents to evaluate their stress levels.
I hope this blog helps you with effective tips and strategies to deal with parenting stress and anxiety. For more such helpful content, connect with us on all social media platforms.
Thanks for reading!
Happy parenting ☺
About The Author
Aayushi Kapoor
Aayushi is a Content Creator at Calm Sage. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology and a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition. Her constant interest in the improvement of mental health, nutrition, and overall wellness embarked upon her career as a “full-time educational writer.” She likes to make an asynchronous connection with her readers. Her mantra for living life is "What you seek is seeking you".
