Wow, what a time of year, right?! All the lights, activities, shopping, hustle and bustle — all while parenting, too! Parenting is a full-time job, and it requires a commitment to taking care of your child’s physical and emotional needs. But what about your own needs? When’s the last time you checked in on your …
According to the National Parenting Education Network, “Loving may be instinctual, but skills are developed. Even before becoming a parent and throughout your journey, you can continually learn skills and gain insights. These empower relationships, support growth and development, and create family well-being, even during difficult transitions.” As parents, we can all benefit from parenting …
Families having fun and socializing during Squishtivities. Between feedings, diaper changes, holding, swaying, and rocking, it can be easy to get caught up in the demands of parenthood—leaving little time to attend to your own individual needs. It’s not uncommon for new parents to feel sad, anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed during the baby’s first year …
Along with all the joys and precious moments with your little one, parenting a new baby can be lonely work. Especially as a new parent – you are adapting to a lot! There are long days of seemingly endless feedings and diaper changes, rocking and swaying, swaddling and then re-swaddling—and, ironically, you are never really …
Grow Your Social Support Network to Reduce Isolation Read More »
When you’re pregnant, it doesn’t take much time in the sun to feel overheated, but there are some things you can do to stay cool (or at least comfortable) during the summer months as the temperatures start to spike. Did someone turn up the thermostat? No, it’s not an illusion. Your internal body temperature is …
Summer is a busy time for parents. There’s swimming, camps, sleepovers, picnics, playgrounds—not to mention the everyday chores like laundry that need tending to. It can be hard to manage it all in one day! So what can parents do to juggle the demands of parenting, while still finding balance in their day and keeping their sanity? …
Stress, we all handle it differently. And we all do better when we know some ways to deal with it. Parenting Now’s Make Parenting A Pleasure program helps support parents who are experiencing high levels of stress by helping them identify ways to manage stressful moments during the day. What is stress? Stress can affect …
Parenting Stress: Ways to support your emotional health Read More »
Children contribute to our lives in so many ways. We experience fun, joy, wonder, and connectedness with them. But life with young children can also bring fatigue and frustration. You spend so much energy on their needs that it’s hard to meet your own. Over time, neglecting to keep up with your own needs—such as …
All new parents are at-risk for developing Postpartum Depression (PPD), sometimes referred to as Perinatal Mood Disorder (PMD) during pregnancy or after the birth of a new child. PMD includes postpartum anxiety and postpartum psychosis (very rare). But having a baby during a pandemic presents even more challenges for parents, as you navigate social distancing, …
You’ll hear Parenting Educators focus again and again the importance of taking care of yourself as a parent—and it’s with good reason. You can’t be on top of your parenting game when your own needs aren’t being met. But even under the best conditions—let alone a pandemic—it can be hard to put your needs above …