5 Tips to Stay Inspired as a Parent
October 23, 2013
3-minute read
Parenting is amazing, challenging, exhausting, and definitely the toughest job you’ll ever love. On those days when you’re feeling overwhelmed, try one Mighty Mommy’s suggestions to breathe new life into your role as a parent.
Sure, parenting is amazing. But it’s also exhausting and overwhelming at times. So on those days when you’re feeling down, or even bored with your routines, try one or more of these suggestions from Mighty Mommy to get inspired and energized:
- Ask a friend or family member to snap a few photos of you with your kids. When we’re in the midst of the daily grind, we get caught up in the motions and forget to just chill out and enjoy our children. On those days when you feel burned out, have a look at one or more of these photos to remind you of how special your kids are to you.
- Take care of yourself. Staying centered means you can give your child a happy, patient, encouraging parent. This requires integrating daily self-nurturing into your life: Go to bed earlier so you’re better rested, eat healthfully to maintain your mood, transform any inner negative voices into encouraging ones, and slow down your pace so you can enjoy your life. Most important of all, commit to doing some things for yourself—when you do that, you’ll have a much better chance at staying inspired on a regular basis.
- Have an attitude of gratitude. Staying positive and choosing your battles on a regular basis can save you a lot of frustration. Focus on what matters, such as the way your child treats her siblings or the fact that your family is all healthy and living in a loving home. Be grateful for every single thing your child does that you enjoy—such as picking you dandelions from the front yard, or drawing you pictures all week long for you to hang up in your office, or even the fact that she likes to slurp the milk out of the bottom of her cereal bowl. When you make the conscious effort to count your blessings, you’ll be open to recognizing more and more of them each day.
- Enjoy regular parenting “time outs.” One of the best ways to stay motivated as a parent is to take regular breaks from your kids. This doesn’t mean jetting off to the south of France or heading to a spa for a full body massage every weekend (oh, but we can dream!). What it does mean is that when you start to feel agitated or overwhelmed by your whining toddler or your 4th grader who gives you a hard time, you need to find a way to keep your child safely occupied or under the eye of a responsible member, and escape to your bedroom or another location in the house for a 20-minute reprieve with a good book or a refreshing drink. And schedule regular “me” time for yourself on a weekly basis, no matter what—even if it’s only for a brisk walk to your local coffee shop to indulge in a cup of your favorite coffee. Spending time alone with your own thoughts until your head has cleared and you can resume your parenting duties is life-changing.
- Seek out role model parents who inspire you. Many of us have met parents in our community who just knock our socks off (or put us to shame) with their parental skills. As with any career, finding a mentor can be the best inspiration to push you to be the best you can be. If there’s a parent whoe approach you particularly admire, get to know him/her and let them know you think highly of their parenting style. This can open the door to some great conversation that could ultimately benefit you and your family.
For more practical parenting tips, check out more from Mighty Mommy.
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