Managing Parenting Stress: Surviving The Tough Stuff And Challenges Of Parenthood

No one will know how tough it is to be a parent unless that person becomes a parent himself. It is easy to criticize parents for their parenting styles but such criticism might not be justified at all. Any mom or dad will tell you that the stress of parenthood can go beyond one's expectations.

The ordeal starts when one has to take care of a baby who has to be monitored constantly. Some parents who have young children have probably been deprived of sleep for months and are practically walking zombies. Lucky are those who can stay at home to make up for lack of sleep. There are parents, however, who have to juggle parenting with work.

Sleep deprivation can continue even when the infant becomes a toddler, according to Huffington Post. There are many reasons why a 2-year-old would hang on to a parent until the wee hours of the morning. It could be a growing tooth, nightmare and some other things that a child can think of to get a parent's attention.

As the child grows older, parenting becomes tougher, as per Christine Hammond Counseling. Parents can become frustrated with low grades or the children's tendency to fight with other siblings for no reason at all. Sometimes, the challenges of parenting can catch one unprepared. Being a parent can become more difficult when a child grows up with uncontrollable anger or antagonistic attitude towards a parent or the rest of the world.

Parents should strive to keep a positive outlook even when the behavior of their children becomes frustrating, according to Third Space Inc. Instead of throwing negative vibes towards the children, parents should instead practice positive techniques in parenting. Spending more time with the children can help them develop positive models in life and learn to live with their parents and their sibling harmoniously.