Easy Tips To Take Control of Family Life and Lower Stress

Can you successfully take control of family life without being a dictator? We know that parenting is a life-long commitment and sometimes when kids act out or challenge us, we become frustrated and our stress levels rise.  We’re ready to throw in the towel.  Nothing seems to work and our kids are spinning our orderly world in topsy-turvy fashion.

As a parent, you can manage your family without being a dictator. Begin by watching your own reaction to spiraling situations, and by being thoughtful about how to handle your household rules before any confrontation erupts.  You can take control by allowing all of the family members to grow and learn with each passing day.

As your children mature, their minds expand and they begin to formulate their own problem solving decisions, opinions and attitudes.  You may find some of your perspectives shifting as well as you grow with your children.  Enjoy the time with your kids because it sure goes by fast.  Here are 3 tips for taking control in a healthy beneficial way.

Take control of how you react.

There are times when it can be difficult to keep your cool if you are dealingwith an out-of-control teenager.  But elevated emotions just add more unnecessary drama to a situation that you are dealing with.  You may find it difficult to reign in children’s outbursts but you are the only one who can control your own responses.  You child should not dictate how you respond.  Whenever possible, take a few moments to think about how you should best handle the situation.  And learn from past experiences.  Based on past experiences, you may be able to predict what the child’s response to a challenging situation may be and be prepared with your own reaction.

Take control of the daily lifestyle.

Your kids will flourish best in a safe and stable environment.  One where they can become accustomed to daily predictable routines.  At least as much as possible in this crazy time in which we live.  Kids flourish in a stable, safe environment because they can learn to create their own decisions and solve their own problems—without worrying that making a mistake and deviating from the parental perspective will not be tolerated. 

Respecting your children as they learn is a healthy parenting skill and one that will help children learn to use respect with others as they venture into a broader world.  Also as children grow and mature in a trusting and respectful environment, they can develop positive self esteem.

Take control of household rules.

Since everyone is born with a free will, kids are no different. They are liable to test your authority as they mature, and sometimes this testing can become adversarial. Establishing a set of household rules early in their development allows them to know what is expected from them and what consequences they incur if breaking rules. As they mature and leave the nest, they may establish their own value system that deviates from yours somewhat, but they will be doing so, as an informed decision. They can see what they appreciated and what they may want to change as they establish their own household.

Handling family life can be difficult, which is why we have listed resources in the right column. Check out the Stress Free Kids website which is a great resources with materials that can adapt to any family situation.  Also, we have listed additional articles below for your help. Take a look, the answers are only a click away. 

How to Take Control of Your Life

How Moms Can Deal with Stress

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