Parental Self-Care Strategies

The 2020 pandemic has thrown our lives all out of whack. Parents are running on empty. Many families are juggling work and life balance while struggling to patch together child care-- leaving parents with less time and motivation for self-care. 

As parents, we play a bigger role in how things turn out and have more influence on the resilience, confidence, and assuredness of our children's psychological wellness during stressful situations. 

To help with anxiety around the uncertainty of our near future, it’s time to implement parental self-care strategies. This will not only help the parent but also teach the child the importance of self-care.

No Viral Incidents at Lifetime Montessori School!

While thousands of public schools have been shuttered, our private Montessori school and various parochial schools have safely remained open to keep teaching kids. Since reopening our school in May, we have enacted, met, and exceeded all pandemic protocols and practices. 

The Spring and Summer Terms were completed without one viral incident.

But Non-Viral Parental Problems Are Everywhere

As parents feel the pressures of stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, their children have also become affected and stressed, especially those who are spending every waking hour of the day with their children. For this reason, a new non-viral parental problem has surfaced. 

Its name: parental anxiety.

Sadly, parental anxiety is shaking our children’s psychological foundations. 

Parental Anxiety Symptoms

If you or a loved one exhibits one or more of these symptoms, including:

• Being home 24/7
• Endlessly working, or
• Feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and exhausted
• Dealing with marital, career, money, or extended family problems…

then you are a victim of Covid fatigue and need self-care.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is a free tool that addresses parental anxieties and stress. Tools that help overcome this malady include reading, meditating, yoga, exercise, jogging, biking, and taking 20 minutes for yourself. Seeking help by talking to a professional, family member or friend will do wonders.

This mommy or daddy time will help you recharge and return focus towards difficult situations in a positive way. 

Self-care will help calm yourself and act as a role model opportunity because you’re not popping a pill or uncorking the Chablis. 

Inside, you may be frustrated or want to scream. But, if you just ‘breathe’ and take a moment for yourself, instead of lashing out at your child, spouse, boss, or cashier at the store, you’ll simply…be…able…to…talk…about…it!

Self-care is the most important piece of the parental puzzle during this pandemic.

It will allow you to find that elusive balance between these crazy extremes we’re facing.

So, keep talking with your children. 

Be a good role model to them. 

Implement parental self-care strategies at home.

And, go easy on yourself. 

2020 may be the worst year of our collective lives but let’s make it the Best Worst Year Ever!