Seven Tips to Reduce Parenting Stress

Feeling stressed about how much needs to get done every day? From getting the kids to and from school, dropped off at practices, tutoring sessions and playdates, taking them to routine medical appointments, grocery shopping and other errands, completing household chores, there is a lot to squeeze into a short period of time.

Here are seven tips to help reduce parenting stress:

1. Keep the lines of communication open. Share your feelings with your partner and children old enough to understand that you’re feeling overwhelmed. Make sure every family member has the chance to share their feelings.
2. Talk to your kids about their activities and events. Ask if they’re feeling overwhelmed and if they’d like to take a break.
3. Learn to say “no.” It’s not easy to have those “FOMO” feelings but fewer optional activities on your family calendar means more time to together.
4. Work together as a family to prioritize the daily to-do list. Identify chores that your children can take on with the added bonus of learning responsibility and hard work.
5. Spending a quiet night at home with the family shows your kids that family comes first.
6. Carve out “alone time” for yourself. Even if it’s just half an hour, take the time to catch your breath and relax.
7. Spend smart. Don’t go overboard in spending for sports, movies, special events and gifts. Instead, concentrate on how much time you can spend together instead of how much money are you spending.

Additional resources can be found on CPCMG’s Health Hub.