Did you know that parents today spend more time with their kids than they did 50 years ago? Sociologist Melissa Milkie will tell you there is no correlation between the amount of time spent with the family and positive outcomes of the children. It’s not about quantity time, ensuring your child’s positive future is about spending quality time with them. Your state of mind plays a crucial role in dictating how beneficial time with your family will be.
As a society, we have no problem hanging out with our family at home. This is a good thing considering studies have shown that a healthy parent and child relationship can positively impact a child’s behavioral problems. However, psychologist Gwen Dewar explains that parenting and hanging out with your kids while you are stressed out can do the opposite and have a negative impact on your children.
How Stress Affects Quality Time With Your Kids
They Stress Out, Too
A study revealed that babies mirror their parent’s level of stress. They suggest that when you have a strong bond, like a mother with their child, you affect the way that the other feels. When you are freaking out and haven’t given yourself a second to relax, your children feel this stress as well.
You Can Get Too Involved
We spend plenty of time with our kids, but when you are stressed out, you might spend a little bit too much time in their lives. If you are always worried that everything has to be perfect for them making you glued to their side, you could be making things harder on your kids. Hovering over your child’s every move is also something known as a “helicopter parent.” Studies have shown that if you are a helicopter parent, your child is more likely to need anxiety or depression medication.
You May Partake In Harsh Parenting
Studies have found that people who are under a lot of stress are more prone to harsh parenting. It may seem that this form of tough love is the only way to teach your children how to be upstanding citizens, but research says otherwise. Researchers believe that this can have a long-lasting negative impact on the parent and child’s well-being.
What Can You Do?
Get Help
Do you have issues with stress? Does your anxiety take over? Are you simply unable to relax? Reaching out and talking to a professional can help you hash through your worries, so you aren’t so overwhelmed with them at home. They can help guide you and teach you how to think differently so that you aren’t caught up in your negative thoughts all of the time.
Taking Medicine
Your doctor may want you to take an anti-anxiety medication. Not every parent wants to take prescription pills considering how many anti-anxiety medications make you cloudy when you need to be there for your child. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown in studies to help with anxiety with fewer side-effects than common pharmaceuticals. CBD hemp oil can offer to be a useful tool for calming yourself whenever you feel stressed. Be sure to mention to your doctor what type of medication you would like to take so they can help monitor your progress and make sure that it is the best solution for you.
Do you have any tips that help you unwind to spend quality time with your kids stress-free? We would love to hear what you do to make your time with the family the best it can be.
