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Ok. I'm 35 years old. I am on baby number 5. I have a daughter from a previous, young and dumb mar...
When The Going Gets Tough
Friday, September 21, 2012 by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford from Child Development
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." At least that is how Joseph P. Kennedy's (father of President John F. Kennedy - now you can say you learned something new today!) famous quote goes.
I'm not so sure he was talking about parenthood though. When the going gets tough around here, I often want to go (to get coffee, go shopping, or to the spa!), but being a mama (or daddy) doesn't quite work like that. Sometimes, there is nowhere you can go (especially at 2am).
How do you cope when the going does get tough?
After all, you are the parent now, how you cope largely affects how your kiddo copes too.
When it comes to "issues," in parenthood, there's quite a list. When my daughter was an infant, lack of sleep ranked high on my list. Then, there's colic. Feeding challenges. Not to mention simply trying to just feel human, and perhaps squeeze in a little exercise or rest and relaxation. Couple time? Where and how to find it. Finally, there may be financial worries and just figuring out how to keep it all going.
What is your issue these days?
As for me, it's a little bit of everything. There's the kiddo starting a new school, the craziness of the 9-5 job, and the hubby's new job. Due to all these, unfortunately, I'm finding my patience to be a little less, my fuse a little shorter, especially with the little one.
It's times like these, that I tend to step back and take stock of the real issues. Are the kiddo's emotional meltdowns because of her OR because of me? Who or what is the cause of the sleeping challenges? And nutrition? Well, I'm reminded of the outcomes of our lifestyle choices and maybe one too many dinners out which lead me to worry about the nutritional needs of our family.
And where do you go from here?
Perhaps it is time to get going, going in another direction. Too many times as parents, we're too sleepy, too overwhelmed with the to-dos, to change course or direction.
The choices we make as parents not only affect us, they affect our children.
Are you having a tough day?
It's all part of the ride. You're not alone. Let's get going together.
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford is a mama to one little lady, freelance writer, and the director of education for a non-profit community school of the arts. Graduating with a B.A. in Music and a M.A. in Child Development, Jeannie began her career in quality child developme...Read More
