STRIVE lab director Dr. Lauren Haack discusses helpful mindsets and self-care activities to reduce parenting stress, including:
* Redirecting attention to what you can versus can't control
* Adjusting expectations and limiting "should" thoughts
* Acknowledging the little victories!
* Focusing on self-compassion and validation
* Scheduling in quick, easy, and realistic self-care activities
Effectiveness: Thoughts about the ability to parent and why children behave the way they do influence how one actually parents and how children respond. As a parent, engaging in self-care activities and helpful thinking may result in feeling calmer and more confident. This in turn may lead to more effective parenting and child behavior.
Johnston, C., Park, J. L., & Miller, N. V. (2018). Parental cognitions: Relations to parenting and child behavior. In Handbook of Parenting and Child Development across the Lifespan (pp. 395-414).