Therapy for Parents
As parents, we often worry about the mental health of our children living in today’s society. They are under so much pressure, which can drive feelings related to depression and anxiety. At times, it can make parents feel as though they are not doing a good enough job.
In this day and age, it is common for parents to ask themselves questions like, “Why does parenting seem so hard nowadays?” Or perhaps they want to know, “Was parenting this difficult for my parents?” Truth be told, it is far more difficult for moms and dads today than it was back just 30 or so years ago.
This is why I provide parent coaching from my practice in Louisville. Parents today struggle with almost daily stress and anxiety. Fortunately, understanding the challenges of parenting in today’s age, learning how to deal with it, and seeking parenting support can help you be a better parent overall. It is especially important that seeking help and support is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it can be an empowering experience.
Why Does it Have to Be This Hard?
First, you have to realize that parenting difficulties do not define you as a bad parent. There are many factors in place that make parenting much harder than it used to be. For instance, advancements to technology have changed family dynamics, morals, and values throughout the years. Parents often find themselves having to keep up with changes to technology and social media just to know what is going with their children.
Nowadays, children are walking around with their eyes glued to cell phones, which has changed the way parents and children communicate. It seems that parents and children commonly communicate more through text and social media than they do face-to-face. To be honest, even parents have their eyes stuck the screen of a mobile device, which was not the case 20-30 years ago.
The existence of social media means that parents also have to worry more about their children when it comes to child safety. Back before the internet, parents warned children never to talk to or take candy from strangers. Now, parents deal with stress and anxiety about cyberbullying, cyberstalking, child pornography, and identity theft, and those are just the tip of the iceberg.
How Do You Deal with This?
Clearly, there are several reasons for parents to feel the sting of stress and anxiety. Parenting is simply not an easy task. Not that parenting is ever easy, but it seems that is just much harder now than it was back when our parents raised us. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to whip out your white flag of surrender and start waving it. There are ways to handle today’s difficult parenting situation.
First, start by setting clear boundaries for your children, and that should begin with technology. Just because there are young children who have access to video games and mobile devices does not mean you have to do the same with your child. In fact, you should restrict gaming and mobile device usage to teach your child responsibility.
Rather than allowing your child to sit for endless hours playing video games or scrolling through social media, encourage face-to-face talks. Make it a point to put all gaming and mobile devices aside for family meals. Strike up a conversation with your child and be more actively involved in his or her life. Ask questions about school, homework, and friends. Make sure you actively listen, pay attention, and show genuine interest in what your child has to say.
As part of the boundaries you set, make sure you also set up clear consequences for your child should they cross any lines you have in place. Ensuring that you have fair and reasonable consequences for your children means that they know they must respect you and do what is expected of them. There is nothing wrong with taking away privileges or otherwise grounding your child.
Finally, if you are feeling weighed down by the stress and anxiety of parenting in today’s society, look into therapy that provides parenting support. A trained and qualified therapist can provide you with helpful insight and advice to help you navigate through the difficulties of parenting. If you are interested in learning more about parenting support, call my office today to schedule an appointment.
