Dealing With The Stress

Dealing With The Stress Of Being A Parent
By: Simone Butler

Becoming a parent is a life changing event, and while bringing up children certainly can be a joyful experience there's no denying that it can also place huge stresses on you as a mother or father. Commonly recommended ways of dealing with stress in other areas of life tend to involve 'getting away from it all', such as visits to the gym or a game of squash to release the tension. However, being a parent is a full time job and it's not always possible to take time out in this way.

Luckily, there are several ways of dealing with your stress that actively involve your children, and so are much easier to apply to your day to day life. You'll also probably find that enjoying time with your children while simultaneously lowering your stress levels will deepen your mutual bonds and strengthen your relationship - which sounds like a good thing all round!

Once your child is old enough to walk, you'll likely find yourself constantly watching out for them as they use their seemingly unlimited energy to explore both their environment and their own physical skills and potentials. This can sometimes be draining of the parents' energy and a factor of stress, but why not use the situation to your advantage? Harness their energy and curiosity by taking them to a safe place such as a park or the open country, and join in with their games in the sunshine and fresh air. Exercise is a proven stress-buster, and outdoor fun with your kids is probably more enjoyable than a gym workout, and almost certainly less expensive!

Artistic expression is good for your child's development, and also good for the parent's soul. Join in with your child's painting sessions, let yourself go, and get as covered in paint as she does. You might not create a masterpiece, but you'll have fun together and this small reversion to your own childhood can provide relief from your stressed adult world.

In a similar vein, music can be another great aid in the battle against stress. Maybe the most obvious way of using music is to choose something mellow and relaxing, but this is unlikely to appeal to your child as much as it does to you, and so is perhaps best left until after they're in bed and you can listen in peace. A better choice is a piece of music that has energy and encourages dancing. Your child will need no encouragement to get down and boogie, but maybe you will - try it, let yourself go a little, jump around a bit, and you can both laugh with each other and at yourselves.

If you're still feeling stressed, then head for your child's toybox and choose the noisiest toy you can find. Something like a drum is ideal. Let out your pent up frustrations by making a total racket - your child may be bemused at first but should soon enter into the spirit of things. One thing to bear in mind though, is that this last activity is perhaps best conducted in the safety of your own home, and away from the eyes of non-parent adults who may not quite understand!




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Simone writes for a parenting tips web site, where you can read practical information on subjects such as teething in babies, weaning your child, and many other aspects of raising children.

Your Baby And Teething

By: Simone Butler

The appearance of your baby's first tooth is a major milestone in her development, and one that will likely see you sharing photographs with family, friends, and anyone else who may happen by! Unfortunately though, the arrival doesn't always go smoothly - it can be a testing time for both you and your baby, as there will inevitably be some discomfort involved, leading to yet more sleepless nights and grizzled behaviour.

There are usually some warning signs that a tooth is on its way, and these can include an increase in salivation or drooling, an intensified tendency for your baby to bite down on toys (or even people!), flushed cheeks and swollen gums, and a general malaise shown through loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and irritability.

Many parents will tell you that teething is often accompanied by other problems such as stomach upsets or colds, although most medical experts say that there is no real connection, and that young children are more or less constantly fighting off one bug or another, and so any signs of illness appearing together with teething are probably just coincidences.

Teething generally starts at around 6 months, although as with all things related to babies and kids your own experience may vary. Indeed, a very few babies will be born sporting a tooth or two, while some may not see their first tooth emerge until their first birthday or even later. Whenever it starts, your baby will normally have a complete set of teeth by their third birthday, and these milk teeth will last until around the age of six, when they will begin to be replaced by adult teeth.

Although some infants sail through the whole teething process with little difficulty, for others it can be a real ordeal. Unfortunately there's nothing we as parents can do to speed the growth, but there are ways to relieve the discomfort a little.

The most traditional remedy for teething pain is a rubber biting ring, which works with your baby's natural inclination to bite down on things. A soft rubber ring provides a safe outlet for this urge, and keeping the ring in the refrigerator when not in use will also provide a cooling sensation.

Teething gel can also be applied to the gums, which can provide comfort, and can be smeared onto a dummy or pacifier if the biting reflex means direct application to the gums is risky for the parent!

Teething powders are also available, which consist of a sachet of crystals which you can pour into your baby's mouth, and seem to prove more effective than gels with some children.

Finally, you may find yourself having to resort to pain relief medication if the problem is severe. Be certain to use a medicine specifically formulated for babies of your child's age, and stick to the recommended dosage. Medicine which also induces drowsiness, such as anti-fever preparations, can also be very useful - especially at bed time.

Hopefully your own baby will not have too much difficulty developing a healthy toothy grin, but if you're finding teething is a problem, then remember that it doesn't last forever, and keep counting the teeth as they arrive!




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Simone writes for a parenting skills site, where you can read more on teething and other issues relating to babies and toddlers.

Anger Management for Kids

By: Warren Peters

Kids are normally forthcoming with regards to sharing feelings and emotions. A kid may be burdened with feelings of pain and guilt but you would never learn it from a conversation. A child's feelings are usually display in the behavior. When a child is sad they may keep to themselves or have little to say.

When a child feels guilty they may avoid people and stay in their room. When a child is angry they may break their toys, scream or throw a tantrum. Children are not always verbal about their emotions but actions often speak louder than words.

When kids show signs of anger, bursting into fits or rage and rolling around the floor in tantrums, this should be a sign that there's a problem. This should tell the parent that this child needs help. Left untreated, this problem could evolve into a mountain of difficulty in the future. Anger management for kids is available and is effective in dealing with a child's problems with anger.

Finding the best anger management for kids may require some research and experimenting. Many different resources provide tips about anger management for kids. There are books, movies and plenty of helpful information provided by sites on the Internet. For an individual who is worried about a child with behavioral trouble regarding anger, they ought to check out some of the resources available.

Helping a child deal with their emotions may involve special programs geared toward kids. A child will not benefit from an adult anger management support group, nor will they benefit from taking an anger management course.

These recommendations are too mature for children. Their minds are not mature enough to openly talk about their feelings. In fact they may not understand what's happening themselves. A counselor cannot expect a child to open up and tell them the exact emotion which is making them angry. These are details which must be discovered through a series of activities regarding anger management for kids.

Kids respond to actions so activities involving games might be smart to use for anger management for kids. Teaching them positive values and acceptable behavior through various games would be much more effective than a one-on-on session with an anger management counselor. Providing them with worksheets, coloring pages, puzzles and quizzes would make the anger management for kids more interesting and enjoyable.

Children could actually be participating in a program without actually realizing it. Anger management is a hard concept to explain to small children.

Considering they're unaware of their exact feelings and they are not equipped to think quickly and rationalize their decisions, it would be very hard to teach a kid an effective lesson plan which requires logical thinking.

Anger management for kids is essential. A child needs to learn how to behave appropriately to different situations. The must know that it is perfectly find to be upset but they must also understand that this anger should not be used in a negative way.

Teaching kids anger management skills early on in life will provide building blocks for their future. Through repetitious activities and practices, kids will eventually learn anger management for kids. An individual working with kids may have to patient regards to seeing results but they will come.




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Warren has compiled a very concise arsenal of anger management strategies in hopes of helping people help themselves in the battle against anger. If you need help, please do yourself a favor and head on over to Anger Management Techniques. More information: Anger Management