This week we are very excited to have some wonderful advice from the amazing Claire Eaton from Creative Parenting! She has some timely advice on how to cope with the silly season.
Parenting can become more challenging around this time of the year: the weather is changing, there’s talk of end of year concerts, parties and of course the kids are in the final term of school. We can feel the strain as we make a wish for more hours in the day and we try so hard to keep on top of everything.
Two of the most powerful and self-nurturing tricks we can have up our sleeve during the time is the STOP button and the NO word. They are both very simple, but require enormous self-discipline to press and use, especially when we are working, socializing, and meeting school expectations and of trying to be with our children and family in balanced, healthy and happy ways.
Interestingly, children just like us can feel the pressure of extra commitments, a faster pace and tighter schedules. Children’s behaviour can start to show signs of stress, sleep patterns can change and their appetite can also take a battering.
There a few little things that we can consciously choose to do to stay sane and happy during the ‘count down:’
– Plan ahead where possible and as much as possible; this allows us the balance our energy and create plan is in sync with our family’s energy levels and time availability.
– Keep the chat and connection at home alive and kicking. We can tend to bunker down when we feel the pressure, so this is a great time to keep talking and sharing.
– Delegation is a great way to share the load~ house work, shopping, school commitments and after school activities (don’t be shy to ask for a bit of help now and again!)
– Car pool with friends…. Grabbing an hour here and there can really help.
Kids can also find this ‘count down’ hard to handle, especially as school camps, final term excursions and work completion is paramount. Our children can need some support and guidance to stay focused and glide through the hustle and bustle of the term.
– Kids need our help to understand ‘time’ and how to chunk it down in to little parts. They can often innocently perceive term four as Christmas, therefore their focus can be distracted (understandably… kids like to think about the fun stuff!) Using a homemade school week calendar can help our kids to write a five day plan and start to gain real life perspective about what can be realistically achievable in five days.
– Encourage children to have down time during the ‘count’ down.’ Children often don’t understand how exhausted they are until they collapse in a heap or they come down with a nasty bug. Parents who insist on chill-out time often find that their children have refilled their energy tanks and are ready to keep going; therefore behaviour and concentration stay more consistent. Chill-out time outdoors is even better, as fresh and air natural noises can really stimulate serotonin, the natural calming hormone.
– Wherever possible, trying to keep our children’s sleep routines in check. This can be most beneficial to children, because during sleep they are processing the day’s events and allowing their brain to rest so they are refreshed and arriving at school with a spring in their step.
“Life is about the journey, not the destination…” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enjoy the journey!
Claire Eaton
For more fabulous advice or to connect with Claire and her team, please visit http://www.facebook.com/creativeparents or
www.creativeparenting.com
My passion and mission is to work with families to reduce the overwhelm when going additive free. Moving to additive free living can bring back peace, calm and joy to families. I know it's possible and I've experienced it first hand with my 5 boys.
