Let’s be honest, 2022 was yet another tumultuous year. As parents, it’s no surprise that sometimes you feel like you have nothing left to give.
Embarking on a new year, it’s important to reflect on how 2022 affected your family and how challenges may continue to affect your family. You want to go into this time of the year proactively because if you reflect and consider what is going on, you can handle things better.
Why taking the time to reflect is important
Reflection is so important for you, as parents, but also for your children. It puts you in a space where you can answer the questions your children may have, understand why you seem to be frustrated, or why you are not as present as you’d like to be. Importantly, it gives you space to look at proactively putting things in place, so you can attend to your child’s needs.
How is your family really feeling as you enter this period?
Are financial pressures impacting your stress levels and your day-to-day living?
Are you still taking COVID-19 precautions around elderly relatives?
Do global tensions weigh on your mind?
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The stresses you face in life can flow to your little people. How then do you talk about these things with them?
One of the patterns we see at Parentline is a decrease in parents reaching out for help over school holiday periods. This is particularly evident during the summer/Christmas period. It makes sense on one hand as your children are home. This can be a challenge to prioritise yourself or to have potentially difficult conversations when they are within earshot. It is also a worry as this is a time when parents generally need more support, not less.
If you are concerned about little ones listening, you can always go online to parentline.com.au and chat to a counsellor via WebChat. It’s important to prioritise yourself, even when it may not feel like the right time. Sometimes it may feel selfish, but it is the least selfish thing you can do for your family.
Children do better when parents feel supported. If you feel like you need help preparing for the new year, if you feel exhausted, or your capacity is low after a tough year, call Paretline. Let the team listen. The team can give you more capacity to support your kids.
Parentline is open every day from 8am–10pm, with WebChat available from 8am–9pm. 1300 301 300 or visit parentline.com.au.