Vitamins & Children

Anyone with children understands that the life of a parent comes with many ups and downs. And as the old joke goes: kids don’t come with an instruction manual.

Most of us started this journey without any real idea what we're doing and are figuring it out along the way. Yes we are surrounded by other parents in our social circles and in our families but very rarely do parents actually get the advice they actually need.

The responsibility of raising happy and healthy kids can feel very overwhelming. Especially in a time when it’s never been easier for “experts” to shout their advice at you and for society to shove their expectations and judgements your way.

“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.” – Matt Walsh

Boy oh boy did Matt nail it on the head with that quote. Parents don’t get anywhere near the credit they deserve for the difficult job they do day in and day out raising their children.

We understand and we want to provide this blog post as a helpful resource for the most important thing when it comes to your precious kids. Making sure they are as healthy as can be!

Throughout the rest of this article we will cover some of the struggles and challenges that every parent will eventually face and how you can overcome them with ease.

This blog post will also go into detail on how parents with kids who are on the autism spectrum disorder, picky eaters, and special needs.

You don’t want to miss this one because it’s jam packed with info!

The main challenges parents face today:

Balancing time

“To a child, love is spelled, t-i-m-e.” -Zig Ziglar

If that doesn’t make your heart melt I don't know what will.

As parents we often feel torn between professional and parenting responsibilities. Every year it seems like there are more and more demands on our time. We keep getting busier and busier with our work while our children’s schedules get jam packed with school and after school activities.

The time crunch is like a pressure cooker that makes it difficult for parents to live in the moment and enjoy their children
Just understand it’s normal to feel like you’re running in circles. Our heads are all spinning with you! The biggest tip we can give is to find a time management system that works best for you.

Some parents like calendars, whether that’s digital or a physical calendar, and others like to set reminders of important events they can’t afford to miss. Experiment with what works best for you and build a habit of sticking to it. I promise it will give you the clarity you so desperately need.

 

 

Overload of information

We live in a generation exposed to so much information about parenting that it leaves most struggling to find their own unique way of doing things.

Everything from your Facebook news feed, your local news channel, even the radio or podcast you listen to while driving is trying to tell you “the right way” to raise your kids.

This is BS. There is no right way. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to this. There’s actually so much conflicting advice out there most parents are left confused on which method is best.

Sometimes it’s best to silence all this noise and go back to the way you were raised. Take some time to think about your childhood and your upbringing. Figure out what you feel helped you and what you think you’d want to do differently with your children.

Then forget about what others might think or might say. Any judgements they put on you is just revealing their insecurities anyway. Worrying about the opinions of other parents will make you rush to make bad parenting decisions and ultimately leave you feeling guilty over not being able to do everything perfectly.

 

Parents struggle with managing themselves emotionally.

A majority of parents are constantly overwhelmed, anxious, and scared and they don’t know how to manage these feelings.

The worst part is when they are stressed like this it projects onto their kids, leaving not much space for enjoyment in life.

You have to grapple with the fact that you are a role model even of the things you wish you weren’t.

This goes back to the last point about the overload of information. What happens is they reach a paradox of choice - too many choices. This overload quickly makes them feel inadequate and causes them to doubt their parenting style.

Without learning to manage your emotions, this will continue in a never ending cycle.
The best advice is to be mindful. Try and catch yourself when you start to raise your voice and yell. Pay attention to when you start feeling irritated or upset.

It’s impossible to avoid these emotions all together but you can get on top of them and strive to do a better job of managing them.

 

Many parents struggle with managing their physical body.

This is an unfortunate common thread throughout parents in society. It happens because once you bring another life into this world, it’s natural to push yours to the side.

Many parents eat unhealthy diets, drink too much alcohol, smoke and some even use other substances just to get through their day to day life.

The biggest contributor to the problem is lack of sleep. Getting poor rest every night might not seem like the biggest deal, almost everyone does it, but this will take a massive toll on you.

If you lack sleep and you lack nutrients, you will lack clarity of mind.

Your body is the vehicle in which you travel through life. If the vehicle is run down, it will be hard for you to help your kids care for their own bodies. Remember you are a role model for your kids and you don’t have a choice about it.

Start to prioritize your health and well being and you won’t believe the positive changes it brings to your overall life!