The times that run are being complicated for all, but those of us who are parents have some peculiarities that sometimes make it even more difficult to organize taking into account the utopian “family conciliation”.
That is why it is not surprising that we notice ourselves with a tense spirit -more than before-, with exhaustion on the surface and with the list of pending tasks growing at the same rate as coronavirus infections. All of us, both children and adults, are living through a very stressful time , so it is vital to make home a refuge where we can feel better, for the well-being of the family and for our mental health.
Breathe (and teach them to breathe)
Conscious breathing is one of the best tools we humans have to calm ourselves (regardless of our age). There are very effective techniques to help children reduce anxiety (I can attest), so if you notice that moods are upset at home, breathe deeply and calmly and encourage the children to do it with you.
Organize priorities
When you have released a bit of stress through breathing, think about the reason that led you to that situation . It’s probably a sum of many things: you have to deliver work before the day is over, your partner does too, you don’t have anything in the fridge to make dinner, the house is upside down and the children seem to have just gotten up because they don’t stand still for a while. second. Does it sound familiar to you?
If the panorama is a bit closer to what I have just described, the first thing to do is organize the topic from above : divide the work so that you have one hour (then another for your partner), and that one of the two occupy dinner with the children. At the time the relay is made so that the two can fulfill the tasks of the day without altering the children’s schedules.
I know that in practice it is a bit more complicated than it sounds, but our circumstances have made us learn to organize ourselves in this way and it works very well. You would be amazed at how long that hour lasts when you know that it will end in a sharp way.
Disconnect from everything and connect with your children
Continuing with the example, I always try to make the most of that time I have with the girls when there are “moments of crisis.” Stop thinking about what is pending and dedicate myself to playing, or cooking with them, also helps me regain balance, so that therapy of puzzles, games, dolls and costumes, is also effective for me. Sharing fun activities is necessary to keep us together and release the tensions of the day to day.
Do stretching
Since you are parents, don’t you notice a previously unknown load on your neck and back? (and I’m not talking about parenting responsibility).
What happens is that when we are stressed, we automatically and unconsciously tighten the muscles of the jaw, as well as those of the neck and back to prepare the body to react in an emergency. Therefore, in a situation in which we are overcome, it is advisable to do stretching to relax in a faster and more effective way . It is also something that you can do with children and that will be very useful for them (even if they are very young because they will take it as a game).
Play music
Sometimes we forget the wonderful power that music has to bring joy to life. I recognize that the musical genre that has triumphed in my house for almost three months is Christmas carols (yes, being in mid-January we follow it in Christmas mode), but they like to sing them and I like to listen to them, so we all win.
To finish, a final note: I think it is necessary to free ourselves a bit of guilt. We are not perfect and we never will be, so it’s good to relax a bit. The climate that we breathe at home comes from us and our attitude, so why take everything so seriously?
In Babies and More | Organizing and being flexible: tips for moms who work from home with babies and young children 11 tips to introduce calm into our home and promote a positive environment for the development of our children
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