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Home › Articles › Parenting Preschoolers › Stress and the Single Mom

Stress and the Single Mom

Ways to Relieve Your Tension

By Jennifer Lacey

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  • Model good helping behavior. Because toddlers' verbal skills are not fully developed, they learn a tremendous amount by watching what the adults and older children in their lives do. "Role modeling is important," Onghai says. "Parents should be able to show those behaviors to the toddler so they can experience them, too. The only way the child will be able to give it back is to experience the feeling themselves."
  • Verbalize what you are doing. Jornsay-Hester says children learn by watching and listening. "One way we teach our toddlers is by verbalizing what we are doing," she says. Talk to your child while you work on a project, explaining what you are doing with each step.
  • Involve the toddler in your tasks. "Let your child become a part of what you are doing," Jornsay-Hester says. She suggests using phrases like, "Get Mommy a diaper," "What a good job you do" and "Mommy needs a helper" as ways to involve your child in your activities.

    • Some activities Onghai and Jornsay-Hester recommend include setting the table, folding napkins, picking up toys, sorting laundry, matching socks, feeding the family pet, helping measure or pour ingredients for cooking, helping with a younger sibling, helping garden and finding lost items.

    Treating Yourself
    There's no time like the present to treat yourself to something special by finding time for you. Try to set aside private time during the week where you can just lounge on the couch with a great new book and a cup of your favorite tea or coffee, or listen to your favorite music. Don't take this private time to focus on the next thing to conquer on your to-do list.

    Another way to ward off stress is getting regular exercise. Walking at least 30 minutes a day can offer you tremendous health benefits, including the reduction of the level of stress hormones in your blood. The National Women's Health Resource center states that the addition of a regular exercise program not only will assist in keeping your body fit, but also will strengthen your body's ability to withstand stress, and your mind will become better able to cope with stress.


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