Parenting Tips: Taking Care of You

Join Natasha and Sonja in a Zoom Check-in for parents and caregivers on Thursday, June 3, 10:00-11:00 am: https://bit.ly/TheNorthGroveParents

It has been so great to connect with parents and caregivers each week in our Zoom Check-ins. This pandemic has been especially hard for parents. You are wearing so many hats: cook, cleaner, nurse, counselor, playmate, teacher and more. You have done all of this, without your regular supports in place, and while managing your own worries.

Throughout all this it is so helpful to develop tools for managing stress:

Reach out and connect with someone. There are many ways to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, phone, text, face time, skype, to name a few. While we may not be able to see each other physically, we can still talk and enjoy a laugh together.
Do something you enjoy every day. Perhaps it’s getting outside for a walk, listening to your favourite music, or enjoying a delicious treat. Doing things we enjoy helps release the “feel good” hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, which in turn help to lift our spirits.
Practice Self Care. Remember “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” It is important to take care of yourself so that you can be at your best for your children. Try to remember to eat regular meals, get plenty of sleep, move your body and try to limit news or social media scrolling.
Try to reframe the situation. Reframing doesn’t mean our situation changes but rather, how we view the situation does. For example, rather than focusing on all the things we can’t do during this pandemic, focus on how it has allowed our lives to slow down and spend more time together.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and say or do things we wish we hadn’t. Learn from it and move on- remember there are “no perfect parents, just real ones”. The great thing about parenting is that you’ll have lots of opportunity to work on things and try again.