Parenting is stressful. If you’re a parent you know this first-hand, and if you’re not then you’ve surely heard stories but have you heard these statistics?

• A 2017 study by Goodyear tire company revealed that parents rack up close to 30,000 miles transporting their children around by the time they are 19.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the average cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is roughly $240,000.
• Kids are always busy, and so are their parents! The average child in America is currently involved in five to seven extracurricular activities four to five days per week per child.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 61 percent of all families with children under the age of 18 had both parents employed. 30 percent of all families had at least one parent working multiple jobs or a side gig.
• According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 35% of young adults age 23 to 30 still live with their parents.

Stressed out yet?

Learning to manage the daily anxieties or parenthood can help you cultivate the patience, diligence, and energy you need to get up in the morning and do it all over again. Easing your stress can also help free you to fully enjoy the joy of parenting. Below are some tips on managing your stress and relaxing in the midst of parenthood.

Take Time Out for a Massage

Massages can help you overcome the physical side effects of parenting, such as headaches, insomnia, and muscle/joint pain from carry around a toddler. Whether you get a Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, or craniosacral therapy, your body with thank you!

Learn the Art of Mindfulness Meditation

We know that anxiety and stress are often unavoidable and have an impact on your emotional well-being and relationships. In practice, mindfulness can help you replace negative thought patterns with positive thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness can help parents exercise greater patience and calm. Practicing breathing techniques, like taking a deep belly breath for 7 seconds inhaling and 7 seconds exhaling (repeat up to 5 times).  This will help bring oxygen to the brain and help the brain to release endorphins, the body’s natural tranquilizers.

Get a Scented Hot Oil Treatment

Fun family activities may seem like a great way to decompress but can quickly become a chore when it involves family logistics. Scheduling a hot oil treatment allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy a little “dolce far niente” – the sweetness of doing nothing.  Better yet, purchase a PureLight Hot Oil Candle and do a massage with your partner at home.

Join a Yoga Class

The American Osteopathic Association recommends yoga for health and self-healing. Yoga can help you build strength, endurance, and promote a mind-body connection. Yoga can increase your flexibility, manage stress, and help you feel balanced physically and emotionally.

Learn to Give a Massage – Your kids will love this!

After you put the kids down for bed and it’s 10:00 pm, as you lie there in discomfort, a massage would be just the thing to get you to sleep through the night. If you only could teach your partner how to give a massage for more than 5 minutes, how great that would be! You can learn massage like a pro by scheduling a private massage class for you and your loved one. Your kids would love nothing more than to feel the nurturing touch of their parents’ loving hands. It not only calms them down and helps them sleep better, but it is a great bonding experience for everyone!

Taking time to relax will help you sleep better, stay calm during conflicts, and enjoy parenting more. Contact Therapeutic Kneads to schedule a massage today!