Five Ways to Reduce Family Stress

Many moms will agree that we lead lives at warp speed. We quickly leave behind the early years where our children are small and can easily be put into a playpen. Suddenly we find ourselves immersed in pre-school activities with T-Ball, Soccer and PTA meetings. It is wonderful if you can manage your life and your child's newfound freedom, but what if you can't?

Chances are that if you are feeling stressed out your child is too. Not all children are able to express that they are tired until they have a melt down. Children as old as nine can have tantrums when they reach their melting point. When your family seems out of control like a runaway freight train you should ask yourself the following questions and decide if you need to apply the brakes:

1. My child is involved in this activity because... If you don't know the answer to this question maybe you should rethink why your child is enrolled in the activity. Many parents feel that in order for their child to be well rounded they should be involved in as many activities as possible. This simply isn't true. A child can be involved in one or two activities and be perfectly happy and well rounded. Limiting a child's extra-curricular activities allows them down time after school to relax and just be a kid. It also gives a child more time to focus on schoolwork. You can reward your children for good academic achievement by allowing them to participate in clubs and sports.

2. As a parent I'm involved in an activity because... Moms want to be involved in their child's activities at school if they have time. Unfortunately many moms get involved in the activities or committees because they were asked and couldn't say no. If you find yourself in this situation after you've said yes, the best way out is to be truthful and tell the committee chair you simply cannot do this any longer. In a best-case scenario the person will understand, in a worst-case scenario they won't ask you again. You can say NO and walk away; remember, volunteers can't be fired.