How To Have More Energy As A Parent

Contributed post

There is an idea around that parents are always tired, always at the end of their rope, that they can never truly relax. The problem is, this can often be a self-fulfilling prophecy since, when you have children, you’ll feel as though you should be feeling this way – after all, everyone else is, aren’t they? – and if you don’t, you’ll look for ways to ensure you do. You’ll fill up your time. You’ll do too much. And all because you felt bad because you weren’t feeling exhausted. 

The truth is that you don’t always have to be doing something, and there are ways to relax when you’re a parent and still raise positive, happy children. However, before you can understand this, you’ll need to ensure you have more energy as a parent if you’ve been running yourself ragged trying to do everything and be everywhere because that’s what you think parenting is all about. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to give yourself more energy as a parent; just including some of them in your life could make all the difference. 

 

Image from Pixabay

 

Say No More Often 

When we say you should say no more often, we’re not (necessarily) talking about your children. Of course, it’s good to say no to them when you need to, and you should never be shy about doing so, but it’s equally important to say no to other people. This is where it can get really hard. 

You might have been invited to a party or night out. You might have guests who want to come over. You might have a work deadline that you feel stressed about. The answer is to say no. If you don’t want to go out, say no. If you can’t handle guests because you need some time to yourself, say no. If your deadline isn’t possible, say no. This will free up your energy for parenting and make you feel much more in control which is always important in life. 

 

Enjoy A Cat Nap 

There are differing opinions about whether or not cat naps (short naps that are taken whenever the opportunity arises) are a good thing or not, but when it comes to being a parent, you’ll know that your children can sometimes disrupt your sleep. To make up for that lost sleep time, a cat nap when possible can entirely change the course of your day and help you be much more energetic once you’re awake again. 

If you have very young children who still nap during the day, follow their lead; nothing is more important than sleep, and your housework or preparing dinner or finishing that report you wanted to look at can all wait – catch up on your sleep and you’ll be much more productive with these things anyway. 

If your children don’t nap but still cause you sleepless or disrupted nights, your short naps will need to be fitted in in other ways, but it’s always going to be possible. 

 

Outsource 

Does it sound strange to say that you can outsource your parenting? It probably does, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less possible, and it doesn’t mean it won’t give you the energy you’re lacking. Parenting really can be exhausting, even if you’re not constantly looking for ways to fill up your time, and by having other people take over once in a while so you can catch up on your sleep as mentioned above, enjoy a hobby and a bit of ‘me time’ or just do all the things you’ve been putting off, asking someone else to help out is no bad thing. 

Friends and family members will always be happy to help, and if you ask them to babysit or take your little one out for the day or even to get them to and from school on occasion, that won’t be a problem. Equally, you might use the skills of professionals to help you. If your child needs speech therapy, don’t try to do it all yourself but instead find an expert in children speech pathology – you’ll save a lot of energy this way and get better results. The same is true of any developmental issues and any extra-curricular classes like piano, gymnastics, horseback riding, or anything else. 

You’re a parent, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything and be everything for your child. Other people can help, and if they have the skills and qualifications needed, it’s far better to have them help out and give you a chance to boost your energy.