As a first time parent—side note, at what point I stop referring to myself as that I’m not clear, but I digress—I am constantly questioning, analyzing and evaluating my actions and my daughter’s behavior in some attempt to demystify this thing called parenting.
Working for an educational childcare company is somewhat of an occupational hazard. Part of my job description is to look at parent-focused topics, which then leads me to question (a.k.a. obsess over) my own parenting skills, or lack thereof.
That questioning creates anxiety for me, which I think causes some stress for my daughter or at least impacts her. This creates a never-ending cycle of frustration, stress and meltdowns…for her and me. I’m constantly over-analyzing her tantrums, her attitude, her interactions with me, only to wonder if it’s a result of something I’m doing wrong.
But what I’ve discovered is stress in children is a very real thing that needs to be addressed by parents. Check out our September Parenting Essentials newsletter for indicators that your child is stressed and how to curb it!
