3 Ways to De-Stress When Your Kids are Wild
Let’s face it, being a parent is hard…exhausting…and amazing. You may feel this in your soul as you watch your kids grow and explore their world. You love their energy and spunk, but oh, my…you are tired. Not because you don’t love spending time with them, only because the rest of your world is draining. You have work, relationships, friendships, bills, and anything else that you can think of that drains you of energy. Add to that an energetic child, or two, or maybe three and you have the perfect storm of stress and chaos. We’ve all been there. There are some days you just want to hand your child their tablet or tv remote and tell them to have fun while you enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet. And that’s okay, we’ve all done it. No shame. Everyone needs some downtime to let their brain rest. So, how can you de-stress as a parent with little ones or teens running around?
1. Set time limits, allowing everyone to de-stress at the same time.
Want a quiet house to sit and scroll through Instagram or that cool sports message board you love to read, but feel guilty about giving your child their tablet? It’s okay, one great way is to set a time limit and stick to it. Unlimited screen time may not work, but what about 20 minutes of quiet time while you rest and get back on track? Perhaps letting your child play an educational game instead of scrolling random videos would work for you too. Either way, this allows the whole family to take a few minutes for quiet time and to recharge.
2. Play Outside
Most kids love to play outside and fresh air can be great for everyone. Even teens. If you have a yard or maybe a park or playground nearby, chances are your kids will be able to burn energy while you take time to play and rest with them. Letting loose and having fun can do wonders for your brain.
3. Establish a routine
We may not recognize it, but we all crave some sort of routine. We like to know what to expect next. Having a daily routine no matter how structured it is can help you to de-stress. Routines help kids know what their day looks like (which decreases negative behavior), and can also help you to be able to plan small things which take the chaos and uncertainty out of your day. Small things like having a simple meal planned in advance, or a few household chores organized can help. One great way to cut down on stress is to figure out what responsibility is causing you the most headache and find ways to make that easier. I have always found that grocery shopping causes more stress for me after a long day at work. Now, I order groceries in advance and pick them up at the designated time after work, or I have them delivered. Sure, I still have to put them all away…and cook all of it, but I have taken one task off my plate that has always caused me stress. Now, if only I could figure out how to get all of our meals prepped and cooked with minimal stress. Hmm?!
Small changes over time…
If you are like me, I can’t implement a bunch of changes all at once. Not just because it’s difficult, but also because I just don’t want to do it. Making big changes can just bring on more stress. Hopefully, these easy ideas will help without making too many waves in your family.
*As always, this blog post isn’t intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. If you need support, please consider speaking to a professional to be evaluated. You are also welcome to contact me to see if I might be able to support you as you move forward.