STRESS and CHILDREN Read this all the way to the end for YOUR Relief!
There is NO return policy, so it might be best to learn to manage the stress that child rearing will bring into your life!
The Plus Side
Not all of the stress that comes into your life when you begin parenting is bad, make no mistake about that, there will be memorable moments for the rest of your life. It is the toughest job you’ll ever have; it is also the sweetest, and can be freckled with fun and laughter.
The Best Medicine
Laughter is one of the best ways to release stress and feel good. The chemicals released in the body through laughter reduce pain and tension. So there is probably no substitute for finding ways to have fun and to laugh with children
Children keep you young. They remind adults of the “innocence” we all once knew. Their actions have not yet been stuffed into a rigid format, and their honest appraisal of things, as their vocabulary grows, will keep you smiling, and maybe once in a while, cringing. It is always a “challenge”.
There is no need to be depressed or anxious. YOU ARE UP TO THE TASK!
Physical Endurance
The physical factor about child rearing is we do get physically stronger from the day we carry that little bundle of joy home. Carrying a child, extra groceries, diapers, baby equipment, and all the extra do-dads we get to help our children, will also mean extra carrying, extra cleaning, and extra hours filling the needs of children.
Though you may be tired initially, you will get used to the schedule. Before you know it your body will grow stronger and your resilience better.
The Magic
Help yourself AND your children to calm down and relax. Don’t forget the children will share your stress and the way you manage it. Don’t yell and scream, or break down and cry in front of your children. They will take it personally, and even if the incident was initiated by their actions, children’s self-esteem for a lifetime is at risk here, as they go through their childhood years. You love them and you are their guardians and mentors.
Work on preventative techniques by letting them learn the very same techniques you are working on for yourself! Teach them to breath and stretch, and make it fun!
Hyperactive and/or impulsive children, in particular, gain the most from learning techniques that relax their minds and bodies, recognize their internal feelings, and release inner tension.
Relaxation strategies empower children with a feeling of peace and self-control. Do breathing exercises with your younger children and they will see it as a game and having fun together.
Find a meditation or yoga class and encourage your older children to participate with you. Many parents already know breathing techniques and the positive effects of controlled breathing through Lamaze or other natural-childbirth classes.
Controlled conscious breathing has the benefit of relaxing muscles and reducing stress. Many believe it is useful in the management, perhaps cure of some physical ailments and disease.
Help your child to learn to take conscious, deep breaths to relax. Show him/her how to inhale deeply (preferably through the nose, but through the mouth ins fine) and slowly exhale through the mouth.
Teach you child to isolate different body parts and relax them with each slow breath inhaled. For example, while lying on the floor, instruct the child to tighten or squeeze toes on the left foot, then relax with a deep breath.
Now tighten the left knee and upper leg, and then relax and breathe. Proceed in this manner to the right side. Have them then relax by breathing. Proceed in this fashion to the lower body, to the abdomen and upper body, each arm, hand/fingers, chest, neck, jaws and face.
This is particularly helpful for children to recognize that when they are angry, stressed, or nervous (even about taking a test or performing in a school program), they will recognize the tightening of certain body parts.
If they recognize when fists clench, jaws tighten, and stomachs harden, they have power over their bodies to relax and gain control.
They can consider using their oxygen a “secret weapon” – and it is! They can breathe deeply and “send” their breaths consciously to relax body parts. By sending the breaths to a hand, for instance, the child can silently prompt the hand to relax the grip. Tell the child when the body is relaxed it is easier to think and plan!
Before any “stress” the child might be facing, AND IT’S EASY TO FORGET THEY HAVE STRESSES, INCLUDING YOUR REACTIONS, they can use their secret weapon to calm themselves! Let them know their brains need fifty percent more oxygen to think well…and the breathing will help them be calmer and wiser for tests! It’s true.
Hence, as your children learn stress management techniques, it will help them throughout their entire lives, and it will also help you because they will be calmer and more aware of their own body powers. Children are ripe to learn, and what could be a better gift for the children and the parents than to learn to empower themselves and find peace in this day and age. They
will also find extra self-esteem in their accomplishments!
Lastly, remember, make it fun, and keep in mind REPETITION is the mother of all learning. Help all the family together!
