Parenting Playbook

The amount of dishes to wash never come to an end, toys always need picking up, your name has been called for the millionth time, and let’s not get into the laundry. All you want to do is scream or retreat to a quiet corner away from the chaos. Parenting burnout is real and can impact every aspect of your life. But there are methods to help cope with feelings of being overwhelmed and overstimulated.

I myself have been in your shoes with the feeling that everything was mundane and endless with no solution to alleviate the chaos of being a parent. However, with time and reflection, I have discovered tips and strategies to make the stress a little less stressful.

MINDSET IS THE NUMBER ONE STRESS STRATEGY! Perspective makes a huge difference with burnout because you go from thoughts of overwhelm and boredom to thoughts of thankfulness. When my children call me for the 10th time, I remind myself that I am needed. I can’t imagine a life in which none needs me; being needed brings me purpose. Requests for extra time during sleep routines are seen as extra time that I get with my kids; I know when I look back that I won’t regret taking those extra minutes but instead will have more memories I can recall. Even doing dishes can be seen in a positive light: at least I have food to fill my kids’ belly.

Routine. Having some type of routine no matter how rigid or loose keeps some order to the chaos. Not only do you know what to look forward to but kids know what to look forward to as well. Additionally, when you make a routine you can schedule (no matter how small) some time for yourself and have this to look forward to each day (or week depending on your schedule.)

Don’t overestimate the importance of independent play. Certainly, spending time with your kids is the best! But as a parent there are other (many other) tasks that have to be completed throughout the day. Finding a toy or setting up an activity so that your child can play alone can be very handy while you check off the other parts of your to-do-list, and you have no need to feel guilty because your child is having fun!