Family Health
Let it Go 10 THINGS TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT IN 2019
IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO STOP WORRYING? Parenting is the hardest job on the planet and we mostly do it with no training and with a lick and a promise. Are you the kind of person who puts a lot of pressure on yourself to ‘get it right’? And what does that even mean? Research shows that kids that have ‘over-involved’ parents; anxious mums and dads, fare worse in the real world. without going overboard. Ask them to help you come up with a new strategy for remembering.
YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THEIR ASSEMBLY/ MUSIC SHOW/SPORTING ACTIVITY Join the ranks of parents everywhere! Every now and then we will miss (or get held up and are late to) the kids’ event. Stop worrying – not attending every single event will teach your kids that people must prioritise other things at certain times – it will help them build resilience. If you know you cannot make it, and want to see the event, perhaps get someone to record it and watch it back with your child, creating a different memory!
YOUR CHILD’S EATING HABITS Here are 10 things that you should stop worrying about now!
YOU DON’T SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH YOUR CHILD Most parents feel this from time to time unless they are home with their children 24/7. If you are starting to feel like this, it might be a signal that you need to re-jig your schedule to diary some time with your kid/s. You don’t have to spend hours and hours, but adding a scheduled amount of time to do something specific with each child can help alleviate the guilt most parents occasionally get from worrying that ‘I don’t spend enough time with him/her/them’.
YOU FORGET SOMETHING THEY TOLD YOU THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM It happens to all of us and it is normal! Stop worrying! Apologise for the oversight and try to make it up to them
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Your Local Families Magazine February / March 2019
Are they eating enough? Are they eating too much? Of this food... or that food? If you are truly worried check out www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthy-eating-for-children for guidance, and if you are still worried, visit your GP for a chat without your child in the first instance. Chances are, everything is fine, but if you need to tweak eating habits remember that you are their role model; make it a family effort and support each other instead of worrying without taking action.
YOUR CHILD DOESN’T HAVE THE LATEST [FILL IN THE BLANK] Children spell love T.I.M.E. So don’t worry about the latest gadgets that such-n-such person at school has. They would gladly give it up for 15 more minutes with you. I bet you!
YOUR CHILD WON’T BE SUCCESSFUL AT EVERYTHING THEY DO You should probably stop worrying about your child not