Skip to content
Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Parentous

Fastest Growing Parenting Community in India

  • What is Parentous?
  • Contributors
  • Contact Us
Psychological & Social Issues 

How To Cope When The Going Gets Tough

August 21, 2013August 21, 2013 Parentous 4 Comments

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”, is what we hear all the time.

How To Cope When The Going Gets Tough - Tips To Cope With Stress

Parenting is challenging, to say the least, because who knows what tomorrow may bring! However, I am happy to say that in our family, we lean quite heavily on humour, laughter, compassion and a lot of empathy as coping strategies. We have learned to be patient and listen (and often take a few deep breaths, sometimes several) before opening our mouths.

Here are some coping strategies we depend on and have found successful, most of the time. Not saying we always succeeded; after all, we did not receive the instruction manual when we became parents, but I’d say we’ve managed quite decently. We have come out stronger for it.

Look at the funny side

Seeing the funny side of a tense situation brings relief from stress. Humour is a wonderful way to change one’s perception of things and gives you a feeling of having a hold of the situation. Children are experts at this – take the example of them at play. When someone has a fall, the whole group laughs and after a few seconds, they are back at their game as if nothing happened. When faced with a serious issue, this works and reduces that feeling of vulnerability while increasing confidence.

Avoid mixing up issues

When something nasty happens there is a general tendency to let it colour everything with the same hue of negativity. For example, if something unpleasant happens on the way to school, it should not be allowed to affect the entire day. Letting thoughts of that event cloud the mind simply stops the child from enjoying what is in store as the day progresses. This is a life skill worth developing and can be practiced at home.

Stop wallowing in it

Tough times really don’t last. But dwelling on them for longer than they deserve can make them seem bigger than they are. The best way to avoid this is to divert the mind. We tackle this by quickly getting out a board game, usually snakes and ladders, watching a comedy channel or simply locking up and going up to the terrace. The distraction serves to take the mind away from what’s bothering it and puts things in a new light, encouraging seeking a solution rather than turning the problem over and over.

Sharing is caring

Literally. Sharing minimizes the problem. There is no shame asking for help. Sometimes, all it takes is a listening ear to make things better, and the knowledge http://healthsavy.com/product/provigil/ that someone cares enough. My son was a chatterbox until he was in the seventh grade. But even so, he would never bring school problems home. Thank God for social interaction! When they talk about difficult situations, it is cathartic and avoids emotional baggage.

Learn from the event and move on

Life is full of lessons, especially from difficult situations. It is good to be an optimist at these times, see what you can learn from a negative incident and move on. It just takes a shift in perception and practice, both for parents and children. Reframe the situation with your child to see the bright side. Some people see this as the classic sour grapes. Why not be optimistic and feel there is something better in store?

Avoid thinking the worst

So it is fine to be realistic, but making it a habit of conjecturing the worst possible is quite disgusting. Why create anxiety where none is called for? When the school shuffled sections two years ago, my son was upset. He imagined all sorts of things – that he would have no friends, he might not get along with everyone and so on and so forth. In his point of view, they were valid worries. We gently reminded him he was still in the same school, some of his classmates would still be the same and he could meet his friends during lunch time.

This is not an exhaustive list – I am sure you’ll add to it. I must mention here that the language we use makes a big difference. I try my best not to express myself negatively. I never tell my son he’s going to be late for school. I just tell him to hurry up. Don’t think we don’t feel like yelling – but that’s the challenge we’ve overcome most of the time. If we don’t encourage our children, who will? When we do, they become better at handling their tough times. The reward? They will remember it forever.

I’d love to know what coping strategies you use. Please share in the comments!

Vidya Sury is a happy work-at-home Mom, freelance writer, business blogger, aspiring author and social media explorer. She takes one day at a time and enjoys sharing what she learns. She loves coffee, books, music, cooking, DIY, people and life. Her hobbies are collecting smiles and inspiring happiness. She hopes to find the cure for infobesity. She blogs at Vidya Sury, Coffee With Mi and Your Medical Guide and tweets as @vidyasury

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pocket
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Email
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • ← The Tie That Binds
  • Connecting With Ma Nature →

You May Also Like

A Mother’s Dilemma: An Unfaithful Husband v/s The Future Of Her Children

November 1, 2013November 6, 2013 Parentous 6

Your Child Is Angry

July 22, 2014October 4, 2017 Team Parentous 1
evil eye truth or misconception

Evil Eye: Truth Or Misconception

May 23, 2017May 22, 2017 Team Parentous 3

Popular Posts

  • Old Age Homes – Are Children Always to Blame?
  • To Have? To Not Have, As Yet!
  • My Child Insecure? No Way!
  • Common Dangerous Plants
  • Contact Us
  • Read baby, Read…
  • My Child Was Howling All Night!
  • How To Teach Your Child To Read
  • Sunshine Vitamin and the Vitality of Sun-Exposure
  • Breaking Stereotypes

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

Categories

  • Adolescence
  • Grandparents
  • Health & Nutrition
  • Interviews
  • Kids Corner
  • Memories & Special Bonds
  • New Parents
  • Parenting
  • Parenting Decoded
  • Parentous Infographics
  • Pregnancy & Childbirth
  • Psychological & Social Issues
  • Recipe for Kids
  • Siblings
  • Single Parenting
  • Values & Education
  • Working Moms
Copyright © 2021 Parentous. All rights reserved.
Theme: ColorMag by ThemeGrill. Powered by WordPress.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.