Parenting Tips for days you feel overwhelmed
Shristi was having a very rough Monday. She was working from home. She had joined late for two of her calls and her boss had called to check what was happening. Her younger son Krish was running a mild fever and her older son had to finish a EVS project. At work, she had close deadlines on two of her projects. She had had guests during the weekend and had to work through the weekend to host them.
Sounds familiar? Many of us have had such days. Parenting two kids, Work assignments and guests. It is normal to feel overwhelmed on those days. In fact it is normal to feel overwhelmed on any day. Here is a list of things you can do to make yourself feel less overwhelmed
- Wake up early: We know this seems a bit unpopular. But one hour of uninterrupted time can help you accomplish a lot. Morning is the most productive time in the day. There are no calls and meetings or any other interruptions. If you can check off a few things in the to do list before the kids wake up , you will also feel a sense of accomplishment .
- Ask for help: On days when you have a sick kid at home and a lot of work to accomplish you can ask for help from a sibling, a parent or a friend. The thing to remember most about asking for help is our ability to be able to give help also when someone else asks for it at another time.If you live in a place far from home and don’t have family near you, consider getting paid help.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff: It is ok if on a tough day you allow some extra screen time or you allow kids to have some junk food. Its ok if you let kids watch some cartoon while you are trying to wrap up an important meeting. On a tough day it is ok to order in food.
- Set Expectations at work: Many corporates are very supportive about working moms. Talk to your boss about situations at home, not to use it as an excuse every time but as a one off exception
- Connect with friends: Sometimes hearing a friendly voice can make a world of difference on a bad day. Just find those extra 10 minutes to connect and share
- Write down what went well: When you are having a bad day, not all things in the day would have gone bad. Take time to think about what went well and write that down. Knowing that you have done well can help.
- Switch off / disconnect: If you are not expecting any urgent calls, switch off or disconnect the mobile. Mute all non work groups and focus only on getting the important stuff done
- Find the mechanism that work bests for you: We are each different and we may each cope with our tough day in our own ways. There is nothing right or wrong about the way we handle our day. A little extra coffee, a small round of meditation, a walk in the park, few stretches, may be a small glass of wine, a bar of chocolate or a small scoop of ice cream , all this is allowed and should be done.
These are some ideas to help mothers and fathers tide through a tough day. This parenting article has been compiled by our editorial team . Take a moment to check out our products.
