Sharing is Caring!

The helicopter parent.

The term has become synonymous with hovering parents who worry too much, and at present, it’s the topic of more than a few memes on social media. Make no mistake. It’s normal for a mom to worry about her kids. However, uncontrolled worry leads kid and mom alike to feel unhappy and discontent. Here are four steps every mom can take to have greater peace of mind and become a more effective parent.

4 Steps to Worry-Free Parenting

#1: Control What You Can

Worry-wart parents need to have an honest conversation with themselves about what they can control and what they can’t. This should be the first step in the quest for peace of mind. Worried moms need to acknowledge and accept their anxieties. Not acknowledging these feelings actually makes the situation worse. Part of the stress of being a parent comes from being responsible for another person, which can make anyone feel stressed.

Second, if you still feel anxious after taking stock of your emotions, it helps to identify the issues that concern you on a regular basis and determine which ones you can actually control. You don’t have control over whether a storm is coming, but you can control whether you are prepared. For example, a secure smart home that includes advanced burglar detection and smartphone access may be a logical tool. Security systems have proven to be deterrents for burglars and sources of comfort for busy moms, especially when it’s possible to see what’s going on at home via a smartphone.

Another thing you can control is what you teach your children. Teaching your children to learn quickly, to listen more than they speak, and to be self-motivated will save you from a lot of stress. For example, once your kids reach their teens, you could teach them about work-related things, like how to apply for a job and what to wear to a job interview. You could teach them about other things as well, like how to ask someone on a date, how to ask for consent, and how to dance. Don’t let your child learn everything at school or from friends, because who knows what they will learn!

#2: Maintain Perspective

Moms need to keep worries in proportion to the problem. It’s normal to worry about a failed test or a skipped meal here and there, but if these events are one-offs, then they need to be treated as such. It’s only when a kid does poorly on a series of tests or continually eats in an unhealthy manner that these behaviors become problematic. If you can’t distinguish between one-offs and habitual problems, you might benefit from taking a step back to re-evaluate.

Children take their cues from their parents. If you can teach your child to see what is important and what isn’t, eventually the child (and you) will stop seeing everything as an emergency waiting to happen.

#3: Avoid Social Media for a While

Social media tends to skew how people feel

about their lives. Moms who watch other moms on social media may begin to feel that they don’t measure up. It may become normal to compare lives with someone else, but things are not always what they seem. Even the people who seem the happiest have their fair share of issues, though they may not talk about them on social media. If you make internal comparisons to other moms, your best bet is to step away from social media for a while. Take a week or more to unplug and connect more with family and friends.

#4: Create a Plan for Stress Management

Most moms are very busy – too busy at times to practice self-care. However, not getting enough exercise, good food, or even enough sleep eventually wears a body down. This, in turn, leads to less efficiency when it comes to dealing with the daily challenges of being a super mom.

To combat this, create a self-care plan. Consider looking into activities like yoga or walking to help manage stress. The good news is, not only will this help manage stress, it will teach your kids to manage theirs. They will imitate the healthy lifestyle you live and then incorporate the lessons of good health into their own lives. The key to happy kids is happy moms.

Final Thoughts

Living a more stress-free, peace-filled life can be within the grasp of even the most worry-prone mothers. Moms who tend to worry about everything should control what they can and let the rest of their worries go. They can also create plans for self-care and stay away from stressors like social media for a while. Finally, they need to look at their lives and their kids’ lives in perspective. Teaching children how to be happy and to do the things that make them happy can have long-lasting effects on mom and kid alike.

Sharing is Caring!