Managing Stress for Mums

Being a mum is one of the biggest blessings you will ever receive, however it does come with some highly stressful moments. I’m sure many of you can relate to the fighting between siblings, the battles to get your children to eat anything remotely healthy for dinner, the constant cleaning up and the attitudes that come with children (even though we thought we had taught them better), the screaming in the car and the sleepless nights.

Sometimes its difficult to ensure that your children have had enough nutrients during the day and some days can be so hectic that you feel relieved that everyone made it through another day alive, without choking on a non-food item or jumping off something that they have climbed up on to and that you still have a little bit of sanity left.

So I thought I would share my tips on how I manage the stress of being a mum because for your children to thrive it’s important that you maintain your sanity.

Some things that I do are:

1. Try not to stress: Easier said that done but remember that children feed off your stress, so when you’re stressed, they become stressed too which is likely to manifest as tantrums and difficult behaviour. This makes everything more difficult for you and for them. So take a deep breath, count to 10 and remember that you are in control of yourself.

2. Give my children a multivitamin each morning: I do this because mealtimes are stressful. As mothers we tend to worry about the health of our children and we want them to be eating nutritious foods most of the time and children tend to make mealtimes difficult by refusing to eat certain foods. By giving them a multivitamin I can be assured that they have had some nutrients to start the day off and then when the mealtime battles begin, I am not as stressed about them eating or not because in the back of my mind, I know that they nutritionally ok. I still want them to be exposed to a range of foods and still serve them a range of foods, however I don’t force it and just keep offering it. This seems to work as it gives them the power back and just like adults, children thrive from a little power in making their own decisions. It helps them to understand that I would like it if they ate their dinner but I’m not stressed about it. If they refuse to eat it, I put it in the fridge and when they come back after 5 minutes to tell me that they are hungry, I offer it again.

3. Be prepared: If you can observe the triggers for your child’s difficult behaviour, you can put measures in place to reduce the likelihood of it happening. So try to observe your children and what they respond to and don’t respond to. Try to encourage positive behaviour as much as possible. It also helps to be prepared with food. I make some kid-friendly foods on Sunday evenings, like a zucchini slice and cut up some fruits and veggies, so there are snacks and lunches available and the time to prepare meals is cut down, taking the stress of you during the week. I also give my children a chance to make some decisions for themselves, like what to wear that day, so they feel they are in control of themselves.

4. Take some time out for yourself regularly: This is not selfish but in fact, it’s necessary to maintain your sanity. Go for a walk, have a coffee with a friend, get a massage or anything else that you find relaxing and leave your kids with someone else for an hour or two. If you don’t look after yourself, you become empty and no one can pour from an empty cup. Looking after yourself means that you will feel sane and positive and have more positive energy to give to your family. Change the thinking that you have to be responsible for everyone at all times. When you take time out, you are only responsible for yourself.

5. Spend time outdoors with your children: As much as possible. Time in the fresh air is good for both you and your children. Spending time outside helps you and your children to get vitamin D from the sun, which is important for your health and theirs, plus the fresh air is soothing for children and generally promotes less stress and a general sense of well-being. People who spend more time outdoors are generally less stressed.

Remember that the hard times are only temporary and it won’t be long before your children come and give you a hug and you forget the stress completely. Remind yourself constantly that you are doing an amazing job and doing the best that you can :-)