| | | | Stop Jumping on My Last Nerve |
By Glenn A. Hascall 
You want to be a good parent - I don't doubt it for a minute. In fact, you spend all your spare time transporting your kids from one thing to the next, you read them bedtime stories, you make them snacks, you help them clean up messes you didn't create, you feed them, you answer their midnight calls and you help injuries become a manageable crisis.
Yet for all you do, you don't feel like a good parent. You feel frustrated with your children and you're ashamed that you're often upset with them.
It doesn't matter if you are happily married or a single parent, you can be a better parent.
Relax, there is no guilt ridden speech in here somewhere, just one practical bit of parenting advice - take a little time out for you. Hire a sitter, get grandma involved, try a babysitter coop, just find a time when you can get away. If you're married this could be a time when you get to date your spouse (when was the last time that happened?). If you're single it could be a shopping trip without toddler interruptions and demands or maybe a night at a local scrapbook class.
If you are a stay-at-home mom, you will find you need adult conversation and reading, "The Life and Times of an Affectionate Purple Dinosaur" just isn't doing the trick. Some 'planned' time out will allow discussions that may center on something other than feedings, children's stories and a myriad of difficulties associated with wax, walls and artistic expression.
Lest you think I am condoning the abandonment of children let me say that this concept is not new, it's not original, yet it is a simple way to feed at a sanity buffet for just a little while in preparation for questions about why certain goldfish float, why grass is green instead of purple, and why air isn't wet.
It is possible to spend everyday with your child and come away looking like a picture I once saw of a lady with a decidedly nervous tick and a caption that read, "Excuse me, Son, could you stop jumping on my last nerve?" A time away doing something constructive with a spouse or friends who share similar interests can go a long way in reconnecting the frayed nerves.
Your children may wail and bemoan the unfairness of being left with a sitter, but don't let them fool you - as soon as you're out of earshot those little rascals are doing the chicken dance. Being away from you for even a short time helps them appreciate you more and allows you a few moments with a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.
Trust me - you'll be a better parent by giving yourself a time out.
Post a comment
FamilyLobby.com Articles is your source for family-related articles. Talk about this article in the FamilyLobby Community.
|
|
|
|
|
StumbleUpon
