Parenting Without Being Overwhelmed

Parenting is stressful. The harder you try to be the perfect or effective parent, the more likely you are to become emotionally overwhelmed.

Overwhelm can be a major concern for parents. It can affect your health, your relationships, and even the children who are your reason for working so hard. Despite the stress, you will never stop caring for your children. You deserve support and help as you navigate through parenthood. 

Are you an overwhelmed parent?

You are overwhelmed when you can feel physical exhaustion after doing chores, running errands, helping your children to do their homework, bringing them to school and their activities, doing the laundry, cleaning, etc. You are overwhelmed when you can hardly attend to your personal needs and can barely sustain a social life.

One sign that there’s too much on your plate most days in your life is when you have kids in tow wherever you go, even when you are desperate for some alone time.

Overcoming Overwhelm: Labeling Your Feeling

The first step to overcome your parenting emotional overwhelm is to acknowledge that you are indeed feeling that way. There is no use denying and masking your feelings; that approach can prevent you from feeling better. Instead, acknowledge that you feel the weight of all these stresses on a daily basis so you can make change. 

Giving it a label or a name can compel you to improve your situation. This is when you can become receptive to solutions. A therapist can help you label these feelings and find ways to improve your situation.

Empowering Yourself and Your Children

One way to better your situation is to empower yourself and find strategies to empower your children too. For instance, you may have difficulty recognizing the readiness of your children to do something for themselves or become more independent, depending on their age and motor skills. You feel tired because you are doing everything, when your children can be delegated tasks they can do themselves.

If you are the type who feels happy being needed and being over-involved, you have to gradually let go of some tasks that you children can manage on their own. This will be an empowering thing, not only for you, but for your children as well. While this can be positive, it can feel easier said than done. Working with a skilled therapist can help!

Where to Go for Help

Where can you find that counselor? Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC contracts with a number of licensed counselors and therapists. You can find the counselor that is right for you with CCS. Call today to get started, online counseling and in person sessions are available!

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