Few of the lessons one learns from being a parent are ‘patience is a virtue’ and ‘actions speak louder than words’!

Occasionally, caring for and nurturing a child can become too much to handle and parents can no longer remain calm and patient. This is called parental stress. Although it is one of the causes of anxiety among parents, there are other contributing factors as well. Not being able to balance work and family, and feeling guilty about not being able to give quality time creates a lot of stress in working mothers. A hectic lifestyle and work pressure can also affect fathers in a similar way. Due to the tremendous internal conflict affecting both parents, a child can witness discords and fights at home.

Witnessing unpleasant events at home can put your child through a lot of anxiety and stress, something that you may fail to realise. In addition to making your child nervous, such conditions can induce behavioural patterns that could harm his health. It can even put him at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression (Reader’s Digest). The psychological and emotional turbulence can also lead to poor performance in academics.

Actress Angelina Jolie once told the Stylist magazine, “I find meditation in sitting on the floor with the kids colouring for an hour, or going on the trampoline. You do something you love, that makes you happy, and that gives you your meditation.” Hence, as a parent, you need to first manage your stress levels and stay calm, so that you don’t pass it on to your kids.

For more on this topic, have a look at the following ClipBook.

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