Balancing a Busy Schedule and Children
By Rachel Shouse
Life can be crazy. Add kids to that and it's a new level of bananas. Parent's lead such selfless lives. They invest a lot of time and energy into raising pleasant and productive members of society. Couple all of this with a job, marriage, social life, family, and/or education and you have a boiling pot of chaos. Trying to not only juggle all of this, but make a sincere effort to balance all of it in a healthy way, is a continuous struggle.
Family Units and Mental Health
Evaluating the relationships within your home may be seen as unnecessary. You spend most of your time with them, how could you not know what's going on? We don't always think of talking about the important things when grades, sports, social lives, etc., are at the forefront of our minds.
As parents, you have to have so many radars functioning at a time. You're keeping an eye out for this behavior or that action. In reality, a lot of what parents worry about could be made into conversations.
Having simple conversations about how your kids are feeling at home, school, friends houses, etc., can unveil problems that you wouldn't have known about otherwise. If you're worried that your child is suffering from mental illness, reach out for help. Mental illness isn't always a life-long struggle. The sooner they get help, the sooner they'll feel better.
Baby Steps
Getting everyone's mental health in order takes time. After that seems to be under control or a bit more calm, it's time to think about other goals you have for your family. Here are a few simple steps you can take to get your family to those goals.
Prioritize balance - Instead of trying to tackle all of your goals at once, use this time as an opportunity to start balancing. If family time comes first, take active steps toward that goal. Volunteer together, play board games, take advantage of the weather, whatever tickles your fancy.
Ask for help - If you feel that your life is still overwhelming, it's time to start asking for help. You may have an older child who wants special one-on-one time, but that's difficult with small children. Get a babysitter. Got a newborn who isn't sleeping? Ask your mom or dad to help you with some house chores. Balance doesn't mean you do it all on your own.
Set boundaries - Different areas of life have a habit of bleeding into one another. It's important that you set boundaries in several areas of your life. Don't let cleaning keep you from being the parent you want to be. Don't let work stop you from going to that recital. Your priorities are your priorities, period.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in St. George, Utah.