Tag: <span>tips for parents</span>

Survival tips for mothers

Survival tips for mothers (and fathers)

Survival tips for mothers: Introduction

Too many moms tell me on a daily basis “I’m trying to keep everybody in my family’s "balls" in the air, but I am falling apart myself”.  That is often so true, mothers usually put themselves last in the line and most of the time they aren’t even in the line!  This can be an overwhelming feeling, and a cause for anxiety and even depression.  How about some survival tips for mothers to help you to not only cope, but thrive!

Survival tips for mothers: The problem?

So what can you do? What can you change if you hardly have time to go to the bathroom (not even alone – many times with a clinging child who sits in front of the door waiting for you)?  Mom’s feel guilty…. almost permanently….

Therefore when there’s a few minutes somewhere, sometime, they also tend to do something for somebody else.

Survival tips for mothers
Survival tips for mothers (and fathers)

Survival tips for mothers: STOP

So just STOP and forget the guilt feelings (even if only for a few minutes)! Do some of the following three times EVERY DAY (for the rest of your life), and see what happens!

Survival tips for mothers: Do this now!

  • Read one article in your favorite magazine.
  • Make yourself a cup of coffee/ tea and just sit (do nothing – don’t even think – become just blank for a few minutes).
  • Breathe (deeply in as if you are climbing stairs) and then out again (down with the stairs again) for (5 minutes).
  • Watch one of your favorite tv programmes.
  • Walk around the block (all by yourself). (Demand the time: leave the kids with your partner or nanny for 20 minutes).
  • Read something spiritual.
  • Forget about your phone.
  • Listen to your favorite “happy song” and sing and dance along.
  • Add something which you need to the list.
Survival tips for mothers
Survival tips for mothers: Do something for yourself!

Survival tips for mothers: Enjoy it!

If you do above mentioned three times a day (OK, maybe walk around the block just once), it’s guaranteed that the rest of your day (and life) will be far better than yesterday and the day before. Stand up and take back control of your life and ENJOY IT!  You deserve it!

Survival tips for mothers: Last words

Of course, the above mentioned tips also works for fathers.

Exam stress tips for parents Midstream Pretoria Centurion

Exam stress tips for parents

Exam stress tips for parents

This time of the year exams stress is at the order of the day.  It is a time that can be extremely stressful for parents (most of the time for moms) and their children.  Sometimes parents even tend to have more exams stress than their children.  So here are some exam stress tips for parents.

Exam stress tips for parents: Introduction

Parents often ask the question “How can I better support my child during exams”.  There are a few basic things which you as a parent can do different these exams.

Exam stress tips for parents: Tip 1 – selftalk

Be aware of your selftalk. What do you say to yourself and what do you say to your child during this busy and stressful time? This words that you say to yourself is called your selftalk – the things you tell yourself. Do you perhaps say things like “I don’t know how we are going to get through the exams”, “It’s going to be a terrible time of fighting in our house again”, “I don’t even know where to start”, “How am I going to get time for all that I need to do together with the exams”, “I’m a nervous wreck”, etcetera.

The words that you tell yourself set free either feeling good (for example endorphin) or feeling bad (for example cortisol) hormones in your brain. You can explain it to your child that the hormones is like feeling good or feeling bad ‘juice”. Therefore change your selftalk to things like “We are going to be a strong team this exams”, “It will go well”, “You can do it”, “You’ve done it so many times before”, “You are a star”, “Let’s just keep going”, etcetera. Start today to set free “feeling good juice” in your brain and support your child to do it as well.

Exam stress tips for parents: Tip 2 – Take care of yourself first

Take care of yourself as parent first. In an aeroplane part of the safety procedures before all flights take off is, “Should there be an emergency, and oxygen masks drop from the panel above you, attend to yourself first before you help your children or any other person”. Get your ducks, as parent, in a row first by doing the following exam stress tips for parents:

  • Get enough sleep.
  • Drink enough water (plus/minus 6 – 8 glasses per day).
  • Eat healthy.
  • Go for daily walks with your children (15 minutes will make a big difference).

If you feel there’s no time, make time and see the difference that will add to a more positive atmosphere at home.

Exam stress tips for parents: Tip 3 – brain gym

Do some brain gym. Brain gym exercises are movement exercises which “switch” your brain on and make it more sharp.

Exam stress tips for parents: brain gym, midstream estate
Exam stress tips for parents: brain gym

For more info on brain gym exercises go to the brain gym SA site. Do the brain gym exercises together with your child before school, before he starts studying and again if he / she gets exhausted during study time. Just don’t do brain gym before bedtime as it might make it difficult for your child to fall asleep.

Exam stress tips for parents: Tip 4 – Reduce overall stress levels in your home

Change the overall stressful atmosphere at home by:

  • Taking frequent short walks.
  • Ask your child to play his / her favourite inspiring song to you and just dance together (or just listen).
  • Build in a special tradition (which will last for the rest of your life) like having coffee, tea, etcetera together at a certain time each night. Just be together and relax.
  • Hit a pillow or a boxing bag.
  • Acknowledge your own and your child’s emotions. Take time out if needed as a fight will cause setting free bad “juice”.
  • Don’t preach, shout, scold, criticize your child, but in stead tell him / her it’s “time out” time and go and drink a glass of water, walk around the house, go to the bathroom in order to calm down and to be able to think logically again.

 

Exam stress tips for parents - reduce overall stress levels in the home
Exam stress tips for parents – reduce overall stress levels in the home

Exam stress tips for parents: Summary

Helping your child cope with exam stress starts with helping yourself as parent cope with “exam stress“.  I hope the “exam stress tips for parents” above would help you achieve that goal.

Just implement these exam stress tips for parents and make this exams the best ever and invest for the future exams as well. You can do it!

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