Muuum…I can’t seem to find my shoes. Muuum…where’s my school bag? Muum… I think I’m falling sick…that is what parents go through, day in day out. That sounds familiar to those who are parenting. I think we can all agree that it’s challenging yet the best rewarding jobs.
In case you never gave parenthood attention, it is a high time you do so. There’s no doubt that the most important person in a home is a mother. And by saying this, I don’t mean to disregard the importance of a father as well. A mother plays more roles at homes than men. A mother runs up and down to make sure that food is on the table, the kids are doing their homework even after a very busy day in the office.
As a parent when you arrive back home after a busy day from work, you sometimes dread walking through the front door of the house. Interestingly, you will still enter your house, smile and listen to complains from everyone and act cool despite having a hectic day. And that’s why I believe that mothers should be celebrated every day for the tireless efforts of raising their children despite the difficult circumstances they face.
If you’re a parent, little ones can be overwhelming. Being a parent myself, I can relate to the challenges and frustrations every parent, if not all, experience. I also understand how losing your cool as a mother can be because I’ve been there, done that and learned through the different phases of my child growing up. It’s very easy to shout at the top of your voice, uttering harsh words that leave you feeling guilty.
Of course, there’s no standard way of parenting despite being the most researched topic in social science. No one can claim to be an expert when it comes to parenting. Whether you are married or a single mother by choice or by circumstance, good parenting comes with practice. And by the way, there’s no shortcut!
Yes, you can be a good parent and yes you can raise happy and healthy children. But to achieve that, there are different approaches that can help with good parenting. Although it may sound simple and easy, the following are some simple steps you can approach as a parent that can help with the challenges.
Step 1
Mornings are usually chaotic. If you want to survive your morning, just get yourself to plan the night before on what needs to be taken care of. Preferably a to-do-list. If it’s a weekday, have the school uniform ready for those who wear school uniform.
Step 2
Eating healthy is very key. And taking that into consideration, you can shop for healthy snacks enough over the weekend that will see you through the week.
Children love their snacks and you will agree with me that the majority love sweet stuff. But if a child is trained on consuming healthy snacks while they are young, this will not be a challenge.
Step 3
Do you have a situation where your children carry lunch to school? Don’t stress about it, make sure there’s enough left over from dinner to pack for lunch the following day. You can boil an extra cup of rice and add more vegetables to the curry so that there’s enough for the following day.
Step 4
Personal hygiene for both the parents and children is important. It’s highly recommended to maintain a good standard of hygiene as this helps in prevention of illnesses and infections caused by bacteria.
These days, house cleaning services are available. You can arrange to have house cleaning done once a week, preferably on a Sunday when you are out for shopping or on a day out with the children.
Step 5
I don’t know about you, but if I want to have a fulfilling day, I make sure that I have time to watch the news and an interesting show. Therefore, I implore you to have an hour or two to yourself. You can choose to have a nap or watch a nice documentary.
Everything now makes sense when I look back to what my parents had to sacrifice. They endured all sorts of hardships; financial, emotional, to changing their lifestyle. So, if they did it under hardships they went through, we can do it. It’s challenging yet the best rewarding jobs.
Kudos to all the parents!
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