Feeling overwhelmed by parenting?
When we are feeling stressed, anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed at being a parent, our minds tend to latch on to all the negatives that are plentiful in our lives. We may start to catastrophize and view small hiccups as major disasters, whilst bigger challenges begin to seem insurmountable. At these times it can be helpful to consciously flick a switch in our brain to turn the light on to the positives that also plentiful, to notice what is working well, to celebrate our successes no matter how small, and to see our child’s strengths alongside their more challenging behaviours.
Being able to flick a switch in this way is not easy and takes practice. Fostering a sense of gratitude in our parenting can help. Research has found gratitude to be associated with better physical and psychological health, along with increased happiness and life satisfaction. In addition it has been found to strengthen relationships, acting like a ‘social glue’ that binds us together, and to inspire people to be more generous, kind and helpful. Being grateful when faced with the big challenges of parenting can be hard however the more you practice it the easier it comes to you when you need it.
The mindful.org website published the following acronym to help parents to find this sense of gratitude in difficult moments. Give it a go, and remember the more you practice the better. It’s just like exercising a muscle.
If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.