How To Cope With Stress That Parenthood Induces!

Being a parent is not all about posting cute pictures on Facebook. It has to deal with spells of sleep deprivation and testing the limits of your patience. We have put together a list of parenting tips that will help you get your life back on track without having to lose focus on your bundle of joy. Check out the list below and let us know what you think of it;

Take Care of Your Health

Elizabeth Stein, CNM, a private practice in New York known as Ask Your Midwife, PC, said, ‘The health of a family depends on the health of the mother.’ She suggests following up on any conditions that pop up during pregnancy such as high blood pressure or diabetes. She strongly recommends that you focus on good nutrition instead of being focused on losing weight. She says, ‘I remind new moms that it took 40 weeks to gain 40 pounds, so she should give herself that long to lose it.’ That is why it is important to focus on your health after pregnancy; only a healthy mother can look after her children.

Work As A Team To Get Some Sleep

Sleep deprivation will cause exhaustion and affect your memory, concentration, and even your ability for coping up with responsibilities. That is why getting an ample amount of sleep is quite important. But that becomes quite a bit of a struggle for new parents. However, there are multiple strategies that can be used for maximizing the amount of sleep needed. Chamberlain says, ‘One of the most common mistakes young couples make is they both get up with the baby. They should take turns. One should stay up, and one should sleep. The one who is up should take the baby to a totally different part of the house if necessary.’ You can get baby stuff for free that your partner can use to keep the baby occupied while you get some shut-eye.

Do Take Personal Time!

While it is important to spend time with your child, it is equally important to spend time without your child. Jerrold Lee Shapiro, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and chairman of the department of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University, said, ‘You have to nurture yourself, so you're not running on fumes. Working out, walking, reading a book, sitting down with a close friend... It can be almost anything that relaxes and centers you, and takes you away from the immediacy of someone else's needs.’

Another psychologist Arthur Kovacs, Ph.D., says, ‘Every human has three critical needs -- solitude, human warmth and companionship, and the need to feel productive, that one is making use of one's talents. If you're a conscientious parent, you may forget about this. But it's important to spend at least a few hours a week on something other than changing diapers.’

It Is Essential To Ask For And Accept Help

As a parent, you should accept all the help that you can get. Whether it is free products for children that you can get for your kids or a babysitter that can help you get some sleep. In order to keep your life as a parent stress-free, it is important to encourage the family to help. It is also acceptable and actually a good thing to look for paid help.