Summer Temperatures Heat up;
Don’t lose your Cool with your kids
We all look forward to the carefree days of summer. Children and parents alike welcome the break from the weekly routine of school, extracurricular and other important activities. And, yet, for some the lack of a definite schedule is unsettling.
Understandably, a change in one’s routine can be anxiety producing. Whether your child has a set summer routine, such as attending day camp, or if your child remains home under your care; regardless, when the unexpected occurs and disrupts the order in your life how do you cope?
It could be as mundane as a play date falling through, work unexpectedly needing your presence at an inopportune time, or the babysitter letting you down. When what you expect to happen goes awry and your stress levels keeps rising as you worry about adequately juggling all the demands in your life; can you keep your cool, or do you find your own temperature rising to the point of no return?
If you do lose your cool; don’t ignore or dismiss it. You need to first acknowledge to yourself it happened and it is alright to get frustrated. If you were raised where feelings were to be ignored, you are likely to dismiss what is happening to yourself. But, that doesn’t resolve the problems.
In fact, often times, it may even make the situation worse. Moreover, this is the time to undo the past as it will feel both liberating and beneficial. Yes, you may need to let your family know you momentarily over reacted. As humans we are hard wired to display a range of feelings – including disappointment, annoyance, and anger. However, the goal is to be able to express these uncomfortable feelings within the spectrum that is appropriate not inappropriate.
Face it, our parents did not have nearly the parenting resources we now have at our fingertips once we connect to the internet. It is natural by default to revert back to what is either familiar or what was witnessed growing up. However, bad role modeling is not what you want to hold onto and repeat.
Rather, now is the time to learn how to break the pattern so your leisure time can be savored and enjoyed. Before you know it, summer will be over and so will this opportunity to connect in ways that enable all of you to happily remember for a lifetime.
Till Next Time
Andrea
