Blooming in the fire

These flowers are stoic. Lately I have been thinking a lot about parental burnout. It’s no surprise that this is happening during the summer when it feels like all cylinders are running. Parents who work outside the home during this time are especially vulnerable. Some collected thoughts on not to just get through the summer but to actually enjoy it!

* create a loose structure to the day and write it up so it can be easily seen
* break the day into morning, afternoon, and evening segments and then further into 30-60 min increments depending on the age
* humans (bigs and littles) thrive on routine – it binds anxiety and helps them to know what to expect
* try to alternate movement activities with screen usage (little and big movements that involve fine and gross motor skills)
* if you are struggling with some activity you feel is important to keep up with, like reading, allow the privilege of earning minutes of screen time for each minute that is spent reading. (Or some similar idea for your goals)
* I know it’s hard, but try not to do any more than 2 hours of screen time a day (studies show that anything above 2 hours can increase the potential for depression and anxiety)
* parents, be kind to yourselves. This is really hard. Allow for your own “sanity breaks” – whatever that means for you and don’t feel guilty about needing time for yourself. Trade babysitting duties with a friend and get out to rest, recharge, and renew. You will be a better parent for it.