If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk,
if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do,
you have to keep moving forward.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Parenting is arguably the most meaningful, impactful, and difficult thing humans do in their lifetime. While the process is immensely rewarding, it is also so overwhelming and exhausting. Remember those luxurious days of old - sleeping in, enjoying peaceful showers, having control over the remote control. While parenting is the singularly most impactful experience in all humans’ lives, we walk into it with absolutely no formal training, reading, or practice. No concrete list of right and wrong, besides the most obvious and lowest standards set by law; do not sexually, verbally, or physically abuse, do not neglect, and do not kill them.
With this venture of parenting, mothers and fathers often find themselves needing to focus so much time and energy on decision making and home management, that we cut out lots of “distractions” to complete our tasks. While this cutting down brings time back to daily life, it also brings its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles of parenting is the loneliness that comes along. While we cut back “adult time” in order to find balance in our day to day, we actually increase our sense of exhaustion and overwhelm by isolating ourselves. Too often adults seek to enrich the lives of their children with extracurricular activities, sports, and family outings, but forget to also continue to enrich their own lives. We miss out on girl/guy nights, date nights, and our workout regime of the past. We might increase our pillow time, but deprive ourselves of meaningfully connecting with others. True revitalizing of our hearts and minds comes by supporting each other through our trying parenting ventures. In an attempt to better your children’s, and your, life I challenge you to attack your isolation today. Reach out to a friend, if even by phone. Grab a coffee or dessert, enjoy a concert, or night out with your partner. By increasing and improving your support system, you not only enrich yourself, but also your parenting journey, which directly improves your children’s quality of life. You can learn more about the burdens of loneliness on parents in this insightful TEDx talk by Dr. Sheryl Zeigler. https://youtu.be/MwvctN3Uejg Comments are closed.
|
AuthorHi! I'm Dr. Linda Abdelsayed. These are just some articles I've created on various life topics. Hope you find them helpful! Check out more about me on the About and Contact tabs above!
Archives
April 2024
|