The American Psychological Association conducted a survey on Lockdown stress and found that almost 50% of parents with children under the age of 18, found themselves under a lot of stress and pressure caused by their new own work from home routines and their children’s online classes and virtual learning. This pandemic has forced parents to juggle between child care, household chores, office work and other miscellaneous duties. With the pressure of profession and family to be handled together, parents find it hard to keep themselves happy and motivated to take up their duties energetically.
It’s evident that parents are the mirrors that children look up to and the psychological condition of parents affect the overall mood of a house which directly affects a child’s well being. More than often, parents tend to care for their child’s mental and physical health and neglect their own. However, if you’re disturbed, you can never provide happiness and motivation to your child. Stress can lead to anxiety which can cause depression or other psychological issues.
Mental health has always been a kind of social stigma, but with the internet, people are exposed to better facts and have started understanding the seriousness of mental health. Stress can be seriously overwhelming but with proper management techniques, you can deal with your stress and manage to fulfil your duties better.
- Accept the importance of mental health-Acceptance is the first step to the solution. No matter how strong you are infront of the world or what brave face you put up before your kids, never let that force you to reject stress. In fact, your acceptance of stress can pose as an example for your kids on how to handle stress along with responsibilities. Remember, it’s okay to be tired and stressed at times!
- Talk to your partner- Child care is a shared responsibility if you aren’t a single parent. Talk to your parenting partner and describe your issues. Figure out what responsibility can he or she take up in managing your child and in helping you out of the stressful situation. Partners tend to blame each other at this point and it’s essential that you understand each other and be supportive.
- Support from family- Family is the greatest support system in everyone’s life, especially during these tough times. It’s important to connect with your family and talk to them about your stress. They might be able to help you with chores and child care in addition to listening to you out and being supportive and understanding. This pandemic is really teaching us the importance of a family!
- ‘Me Time’- It’s okay to not feel like doing something and it’s essential that you take a day off from your busy schedule to cook your go-to food or simply curl up on your bed reading your favourite book or binge-watching your favourite show. At this point, your parenting partner and family can help take care of your child and household chores.
Stress is a psychological issue and you might need to talk to an expert to figure out solutions you can’t manage on your own.
Happy Parenting!
Manosrija Sarkhel
(1st Year)
MahilaMahaVidhyalaya, Banaras Hindu University A student of English Hons. at BHU, Manosrija is a passionate writer with a writer’s page on Instagram (@manosrija_04) and a YourQuote profile (That Girl). She is a sincere reader and is interested in poetry, fiction and politics.
