Being a parent can be one of life’s greatest blessings. You are responsible for a young life, and you will never know unconditional love until you become a parent.
But along with all the joy, being a parent also means suffering through trying times with a tantrum-throwing toddler and emotion-infested teenager. Although your kids will test your patience multiple times throughout their lives, it’s important that you stay calm and don’t turn your frustration into aggression. The following are four great ways to keep your cool and not “lose it” with your kids.
1. Limit the tantrums
As a parent, it’s important that you start to recognize when your child acts out. There are usually triggers for a toddler’s tantrums or an older child’s melt downs, and if you start to recognize these triggers, you can start to eliminate the tantrums. For example, if you notice that your child tends to have a tantrum right before lunch, it could be because they’re hungry. You could eliminate tantrums by scheduling meals and snacks appropriately so that your child is always feeling full or eliminating play dates or running errands right before lunch time. When you remove the tantrums, you will be able to stay calm and have more fun with your child.
2. Remove yourself from the situation
If you feel like you’re about to start yelling or getting physically abusive with your child, it’s important that you walk away. Tell your child that you need a minute to cool down, and go into another room. Use this time to take deep breaths and think positive thoughts to help keep yourself from acting aggressively. If you cannot leave the room, try to do some calming exercises by taking your mind away from the situation. For example, start counting in your head or softly out loud while taking deep breaths. This will help you focus on your stress levels instead of on your child.
3. Set rules
Parents often find themselves becoming aggravated when their children are misbehaving, and one good way to stop this is by creating rules. For example, let your child know that there are certain rules that need to be followed and certain consequences that will be given if they break a rule. It’s important that you’re also consistent with the rules and the consequences. This way, when your child realizes that kicking the dog means going to bed without dinner (or whatever punishment you deem necessary), they will start to learn not to kick the dog. This will keep you from over-reacting when your child misbehaves and instead allow you to rely on the punishments.
4. Help yourself relax
There are two different ways to allow your mind and body to relax. First, you can get a massage to allow your stress levels to decrease and put you in a better state of mind. Getting a massage once a week has been known to help many parents eliminate their anger and help to positively deal with their child. The other thing that you can do is to make sure that you get plenty of physical activity. Join a gym or exercise group and work out any pent-up stress the healthy way. Regular exercise puts both your body and mind in a better place, and it will keep you from losing it with your child.
Julie Myers is a freelance writer and mother of two. She enjoys sharing advice on pet care and tips on parenting children.
Filed under: Guest Blog Tagged: Child, Discipline, Family, Home, Julie Myers, Parent, Tantrum, Toddler
