Lack of sleep, too many chores, unruly kids and unsupportive spouses are known causes of parent fatigue. The Director of Research and Practice at the Parenting Research Center in Australia, Associate Professor Jan Matthews, says that when parents are fighting fatigue it can have an impact on their ability to raise children.
“International research has shown that fatigue can get in the way of parent-child and partner relationships, which has implications for a child’s emotional, physical and cognitive development,” she stated in ParentingResearchCenter’s website.
Fortunately, there are many ways for fighting fatigue effectively. Here are some suggestions.
Nutritionally Balanced Diets
Tired and busy parents often have very bad eating patterns. They skip meals or just grab whatever they can while doing something else. Eventually, their body will crash. “A longer time will be spent from recuperating from a cold or some other ailment, forcing them to stop and look after their body for a while,” says Michael Grose, Australian parenting expert and author of Great Ideas for (Tired) Parents (Australia: Random House, 2000).
He suggests that parents have nutritionally balanced diets that give ample energy to last them through the day. Good food choices include complex carbohydrates such as wholegrains breads and cereals, lean proteins like low-fat milk, soy products, chicken, fish and meat as well as lots of fruits and vegetables. Nutritionally balanced diets do require planning and careful thought but will soon become a habit.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise helps energize the body and it doesn’t really take much time. Try to exercise three times a week for about 30 minutes per session. A brisk walk around the park on Monday, playing a ball game with the kids on Wednesday and bicycling on Friday should be just right. Don’t forget, doing housework like vacuuming, mopping the floor, gardening and walking the dog can be counted as exercise too.
Ample Sleep
Sleep is a luxury for many busy parents. But ample sleep is crucial for the body to function properly. Grose suggests taking naps in the middle of the day when the baby is sleeping, taking turns with the spouse for night feeds, using a babysitter from time to time or getting friends and family to help out whenever possible.
Relaxation
There are many ways to relax the body and mind. For busy parents, a brief 10-minute deep breathing exercise whenever they feel stressed can provide the much needed relief. Just find a quiet spot in the house, sit or lie down and shut the eyes. Then breathe in deeply for a few seconds and breathe out for another few seconds.
Socializing
Making new friends and socializing can help improve tired parents’ well-being too. Joining playgroups or parent’s groups help. But friends don’t always have to be parents. Non-parents make good friends too as their topics of conversations are more varied, stimulating the brain in other ways! Another note to remember – seek out positive people who can see the bright side of anything and everything. They help others stay positive too and parents fighting fatigue certainly need that boost.
All parents can relate to parental exhaustion or fatigue but they don’t have to live with it. Make some changes in the daily routine to beat fatigue. Parents who plan and prepare nutritionally balanced diets, do regular exercise, have ample sleep, use relaxation techniques and socialize with other people probably can manage parenting and fatigue more effectively.
Those who find this article useful may also be interested in reading Parenting Myths, The Truth about Parenting and How to Reduce Parental Stress.
 |
