3 Sets of Self-care Tips For Every Parent During Coronavirus

As my daughter was entering the military last summer, I knew our home dynamics was about to change drastically. I'd no longer have my girls to hang out with, cook for, or serve. It would just be my son and I.

Empty nest had begun for reals.

I realized I'd need to learn more about what to do for myself now that all I'd really be needed for food and taxiing.

Enter the beginning of my self-care journey.

Self-care...I initially thought, meant spa time or something, but it's not that at all.

More and more I would realize just how important this act of taking care of myself would become. And how much better it would make me feel...how it wasn't at all a selfish act, but an act of HEALTH care.

In the times we are in, we're under stress, tight quarters, limited freedoms, and with an unknown end to it all. I've read and laughed at many memes, videos and stories of parents struggling to live in the same home 24/7 with their kids while adapting to the newest living situation...

We were always on the go...now we are stuck home...and together. This seems to really get to some people and so I thought I'd share something I found to help remind how to practice self-care.

I love Instagram. Too much sometimes. But I do find some amazing things there. This simple list of what to to for self-care, based on time allotments you have, has been wonderful to have. I've looked up the websites and don't even know where it came from initially. What's listed isn't it. So, you can always do your own search, BUT use this 5/15/30 minute list to get an idea of what can be self-care and what can make a difference. I'd start it immediately.

Please use our Family Matters with Amber search bar to find more ideas on topics like: homeschooling, discipline, cooking, fitness, fun and common sense parenting.

Stay well. 🙏💛

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

6 Ways to Support Teens and Mental Health (Column Related)

Enjoying a trip to see family and exploring the outdoors. May was Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s over now, but it shouldn’t be. I’m not a medical professional or anything even close, but I am convinced that every person on the planet (no matter age, economic status, profession, race, or gender) is vulnerable to events that can alter their state of mind. If you’re not sure about this, just research the increase in the amount of people seeking psychological help due to the pandemic, then try getting an appointment with a therapist or counselor that doesn’t require weeks or months on a wait list. There are so many things damaging our mental health that we don’t even realize. Add underlying issues not yet detected and undiagnosed…it’s a bad situation made worse, and the need for support more urgent. Many teens are struggling with mental health issues right now and many of us don’t even know it. How could we? Not too many teens feel comfortable talking to adults about ‘their stuff’ a

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! ' to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

Search This Blog