When kids are stressed, they ruminate about past problems and worry about future what-ifs.
Feeling like you are the only person who is awake in the world as you pace the floor all night with a sick baby in your arms? Hiding in your dark pantry to cry alone after yelling at your kids because they’ve been bickering at each other for hours? Feeling completely defeated and inadequate because your toddler violently refuses to eat every meal you’ve put in front of them? Wondering if you are the only one who has to repeat themselves 3,457 times to get your teenager to complete one simple task?
Worrying, it’s something all parents do. I know I am guilty of it, especially when I lie awake in the wee hours of the morning with the silence of the house ringing in my ears. I worry about what I forgot to do, what I need to do, what I should have done, and what I already did. Let’s face it, parenting is hard. There is always something to be done, someone in the household who needs assistance, and many things to worry about including feeding your kids healthy food, your children’s friendships, and what other parents think about your parenting choices. Some worries are valid, but many worries are not worth your time and effort. What if you could learn to let these worries go?
What should you do if your firstborn is showing jealousy toward the new baby? What if your firstborn is mad at you for disrupting the predictable flow of their life with this new challenger for your attention? Here’s how you can smooth things out.
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