Challenges of Parenting: four ways to cope as a parent

Being a parent is one of the most challenging jobs out there. As a parent, you are in charge of your child’s safety, security, and development — something that most people aren’t fully prepared for. 

Children have different personalities, behaviours, and habits so it’s nearly impossible to create a single parenting rulebook for everyone. Nevertheless, there are various ways you can ease your parenting woes. 

Let’s take a look at some of the most common challenges of parenting and how you can learn to cope.

Aggression

Children don’t have the best control over their emotions. Strong emotions like anger or frustration can feel overwhelming to a young child and may manifest in ways that are upsetting to a parent, i.e., aggression. 

If your child starts being aggressively for any reason, try your best not to respond in kind. This will only aggravate your child further and can have a long-lasting negative effect on their emotional well-being. 

Experts recommend doing the following when trying to calm aggression in children: 

• Avoid spanking or yelling at your child

• Give them some time to calm down so they can get their minds out of a reactive state

• Once your little one has calmed, talk to them about why aggressive behaviour is wrong and help them find better ways they can express their anger or frustration

No Personal Time

It can be tough for parents to find time for themselves to do things that they want to do. However, self-care is an important part of effective parenting. If you can’t seem to find time to pursue hobbies or interests in between your parenting duties, it might be time to delegate some of your responsibilities. 

Consider getting a nanny or signing your child up for nursery. This will open up a huge part of your schedule which you can use to do things that you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t. If finding a nanny or a nursery is completely out of the picture, there are other things you can do to decompress, such as breathwork. 

Breathwork doesn’t require you to spend a lot of money or time. Plus, you can do it absolutely anywhere at any moment. 

A simple breathing exercise involves focusing on the natural rhythm of your breath. Notice how long your inhales and exhales last then, begin inhaling for four counts, holding for six, and releasing for another four. This will help regulate your blood pressure, improve the oxygen capacity in your blood, and increase energy levels in your body. 

If you find breathing exercises like this helpful, you may also benefit from working with a breathwork specialist who can help you gain greater insight into your subconscious through conscious breathing.

Challenges of Parenting a Child with Disabilities

Parenting a child with special needs is twice as challenging as parenting a child without them. Apart from the issues mentioned above, you also have to deal with several other obstacles, e.g., lack of proper assistance, communication, behavioural issues, and so much more. 

The early diagnosis of a learning disability in children can go a long way to helping your child live a happy life. It can also help you, as parents, better adjust to your child’s needs. 

Luckily, society has come a long way in terms of resources for parents with special needs children. If you ever need assistance, you can always visit websites like Parents Canada or the National Youth Leadership Network. 

Sensitive Subjects

It’s never easy when your child starts asking questions about sensitive topics. Menstruation, sexuality, divorce, and death — are just a few examples of topics that children may want to learn about from their parents. And while you can’t expect them to understand each concept as a whole, you can give them an overview that will set them on the right path to understanding.

When talking to children about sensitive topics, try to use the right terminologies to help them get familiar with the words. It might be tempting to use other words to replace terms that you don’t feel comfortable enough to say. However, this might end up hurting your child more than helping them.

As much as possible, find ways to explain complex concepts to them in simpler, more digestible ways. This will help your child understand faster and more effectively.

Disobedience

Children like to test the waters and see what they can get away with. This could be why your little one is all of the sudden refusing to put their socks on, refusing to eat breakfast, or simply ignoring everything you tell them not to do. This can be frustrating and annoying for parents. 

Most people respond by threatening or punishing their children. However, experts say this isn’t the best way to handle situations involving disobedience. Instead, here’s what you should do: 

Be direct with your child. 

Tell him or her exactly what you want them to do, e.g., “I want you to pick up these toys and put them back in the toy box.” Avoid using “will you” statements such as“will you put the toys back in the box,” as it just permits them to ignore your instructions and do as they please. 

Use a firm but controlled voice when you’re giving them instructions. This lets them know that you won’t accept “no” for an answer.

Final Thoughts

Parenting isn’t the easiest job; however, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. With the right resources and support, you should be able to handle the various challenges that come with the role.