Do you ever feel that, as a parent, you aren’t as happy as you could (or should – whatever that means) be? Do you find that you’re frustrated, that you snap and then feel guilty? Or that you feel guilty anyway because of something you did or said or didn’t do or say? Do you wish things could be different?
The good news is you’re not the only one who feels like this. Many parents wish they could be happier, as they are sure it would not only help them, but help their entire families too. The even better news is that this is perfectly achievable. It will take some practice and some changes to your lifestyle, but once you have your new habits in place, you’ll be a much happier parent and everyone will benefit. Read on for more.
The Number One Rule – Be Kind
Although you might have several different rules in your household, and those are down to each individual parent to determine, the number one rule should always be to be kind. This guiding principle will cover pretty much everything, ensuring that you and your children are kinder to each other, to themselves, and to anyone else who might wander into their periphery.
The more kindness there is in the world, the less stressed and more happy people can be. If you know that your family can look for ways to be kind and to take the time to stop what they are doing if their actions could hurt someone it will bring you great peace of mind.
Look At The Big Picture
What is it you are really stressing about? What is it that is making you unhappy or frustrated or angry? Once you start to break everything down and look at what it is you’re reacting to, you might realize that they are just small things that, although they might seem huge at the time, don’t really matter. So what if your child wants to wear odd socks to the park or chooses a different book than the one you had picked out at the library? So what if they spilled a drink or wanted to crawl into bed with you for a little while? Does it matter?
There will be some things that you do have to expend energy on. If you’ve been in an accident and are using competent and dedicated personal injury attorneys to help you make a claim, or you’ve lost your job, or you’ve heard that a loved one is sick, for example, you’ll need to think about this and come up with a plan to tackle it. But the small things? The things that won’t matter in an hour’s time, let alone next week or year or in a decade, are not worth being unhappy about. Move on and let it go.
Have Fun
One of the best ways to be happy is to have fun. Your children will only be children for a short time, and they will only want to spend time with you for a short time, so make the most of this time you have, and enjoy it.
Even if you’re very busy, it’s crucial to take a little bit of time each day to have fun with your kids. Play a game, read a book, listen to a favorite piece of music, go for a walk to splash in muddy puddles (because, in the end, a bit of mud won’t hurt and can easily be cleaned up).
Having fun is good for you all, and it might even help you to forget about your other worries, at least for a while.
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