When we spend too much time with our children. Tips for parents that will help ensure a smooth everyday life.
When you’re constantly spending time with your kids, it can be hard to stay calm and relaxed, especially if you have other commitments like work and home care to take care of.
Kids thrive on stability and a schedule. A change in their routine—whether it’s not having school during the coronavirus pandemic or just a regular summer break—is difficult for both child and parent.
Here are eight steps to calm parenting.
- Get in sync with what’s happening. If school closures or other changes are affecting you, it’s important to find a new rhythm. Try to establish a routine as soon as possible and let your kids weigh in on the schedule that’s right for them. They are more likely to follow the plan if they have a say in creating it.
- Try to stay calm. In a schedule where you spend a lot of time together and some family members are on video conferences and your children are constantly asking you to meet their needs, it is difficult not to get tired. Be aware that if the situation you are in causes you tension, your children are just as likely to explode. Try not to get too upset and keep your mood relatively calm, after all, your children are watching you to shape their behavior. If you are stressed and anxious, your child will be too.
- Schedule your children’s screen time. You can use screen time to your advantage without, of course, unlimited TV and tablet time being the goal. To minimize arguments, introduce specific times into your children’s daily schedule. When kids wait for an hour of TV time or 30 minutes of tablet playtime after dinner, they’re less likely to ask for it the rest of the day.
- Talk about what’s on your mind. Whether it’s the turmoil of the coronavirus or other stresses, emotional sharing can always help. Talk about the feelings you’re experiencing as parents and children and how you can work together to focus on the good things.
- Explore your kids’ needs. When your kids want to annoy you or their siblings, notice what might be triggering this behavior. Are they bored? Help them find something fun to do. Are they feeling sad or anxious? Kids who are stressed are often irritable. Try to understand what is causing the behavior, and then you will see how to deal with it.
- Help children learn independence. You can help children practice independent play by giving them new objects or open-ended toys to explore on their own. By interacting with something new, they will learn how to play independently – and this can even give you a few minutes to yourself.
- Ask for help from those close to you. If you are socially isolated or live far from helpful friends and family members, take advantage of technology to give you a break. Grandparents or aunts and uncles can read a book or tell a story via video. And while they’re chatting, you can disconnect for a while.
- Rethink the meaning of self-care. Discover what self-care means to you. Is it getting more sleep? Is it taking a little time at night to read in bed? Is it listening to some nice music? Find a few things that fill you up, and then find ways to make them happen. Self-care will give you the ability to reclaim a few moments of peace.
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