If you’re a parent or caregiver reading this, we want you to know you are doing an incredible job! Raising children is a joy and can require intention and hard work, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. Everything you do for your child—from meeting their basic needs to enrolling them in a quality preschool—is worthy of congratulations. When you’re juggling parenting with all of life’s other responsibilities, we are here to help!
Seek Balance, Not Perfection
When it comes to raising children, it’s easy to want to be the
“perfect parent,”
prioritize everything, and execute it all with precision. Please take it from us—early childhood educators with years of experience—there is no perfect way to raise a child. As a parent, you’ve probably already heard the advice to
“find balance”
if you can. But what does that mean? Spending the same time and effort on household tasks, bonding with your children, working on your career, and self-care? Balance doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything equally well. Try looking at it more as a process of prioritizing and focusing on the things that are most important to you.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you have several important priorities:
What is my immediate concern?
What tasks seem urgent but may actually be lower priority?
What is the likely outcome of making this a priority? What is the likely outcome of not making this a priority?
What absolutely needs my attention right now and what can wait?
Prioritize Connection
On busy family days, it can help to build daily habits of quality time into your schedule. So even on the days when we’re pulled in different directions, we’re still able to maintain a strong bond with our children because we’ve built habits that help connect us.
Here are a few habits you can incorporate into your day-to-day life that add moments of connection for your family.
When you have even a few moments to connect with your children, avoid distractions and enjoy spending time together!
Make time for one-on-one time with your child doing a special activity they enjoy, like reading a favorite book or playing a special game together.
Have a bedtime snuggle and chat. Set an earlier bedtime so you can spend some extra minutes talking and snuggling.
Add more hugs to your day! Virginia Satir, a world-renowned family therapist, has a fantastic saying: “We need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs a day for maintenance, and twelve hugs a day for growth.”
Remember, the amount of quality time you’re spending with your child can have bigger benefits than the quantity of time you spend together.
Find A Community
There’s the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” but how do you find your village? If you don’t have close family members or friends who live nearby, you may be asking yourself that very question. It may take some time and effort to build a supportive community, but the benefits are worth it! Here are a few places to start:
Join Facebook groups in your city to connect with parents in your area
Schedule a playdate with the parents you meet at the park or preschool
Find a preschool that’s integrated into the local community where you live and hosts events for their families.
Attend family events in your community
Check out the meet-up site Peanut or Nextdoor for parent meet-ups near you
We encourage you to get to know the parents of your child’s classmates so you can plan playdates and get together outside of school. Our schools host events for families throughout the year that can be great opportunities to build relationships and expand your village.
If your child shows particular interest in a subject or enrichment class at TGS, consider getting them involved in the same activity outside of school. It could present a great opportunity for you and your child to build new relationships!
Practice Self-Compassion
Self-compassion means being kind to yourself. Think about how you’d encourage a friend in the same situation. Always speak to yourself with the same amount of kindness and understanding. Quieting your inner critic and practicing self-compassion can be a big boost to your overall mental health by helping you cope with stress, improve resilience, and feel more satisfied with life. Self-compassion shows up in many forms and the more you practice, the easier it will become. Your children will notice if you treat yourself with love and respect, and it will help them gain self-esteem and confidence.
Adapted from: Garderner
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