Grey-Bruce Kids Winter 2021/22

As parents, it’s easy to find ourselves solely focused on caring
for our children. Parenting, though exhausting at times, is
such a rewarding experience.
We gladly give our energy, time, and money to make sure that
our kids have a childhood brimming with positive experiences.
Every waking moment is spent cleaning, organizing, hugging,
washing, wiping, cooking, consoling, helping… well, you get
the point.
With the pandemic approaching two years, there is another layer
of expectations on us to have it all together, and it’s heavy. This
constant feeling of having to stay ever-vigilant in case of another
school shutdown or a change in public health guidelines, layered
on top of the usual parenting challenges, has many of us on
the verge of collapse. After a while, giving ourselves fully to our
families can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and even resentment.
If these feelings resonate with you, you are not alone. Whether
you have a teenager struggling with isolation, a nine-year-old
who is struggling academically, or a toddler who hasn’t been in a
grocery store let-alone on a playdate – we are all in this together.
One of the biggest predictors of a child’s mental health and
well-being is their parents’ mental health and well-being. As
we enter parenthood, we can lose sight of things we enjoyed
doing. The truth is, there are many of us running around with
an empty tank right now. It’s hard to stay present for our kids
when we feel this way. We may begin to use unhealthy coping
mechanisms to help us get through our days. Our mental health
can suffer too, which can lead us to act in a way that is not
consistent with our parenting values and beliefs.
Above all else, our kids want happy, healthy parents. When we
shift our perspective to recognize that our wellness impacts our
entire family, it doesn’t seem selfish at all to invest in ourselves.
When we make our own needs a priority, our kids learn that it’s
OK to prioritize their own wellness.
Below are some ideas of what we can do to put our wellness first.
I hope you find them helpful.
Since being perfect is not possible, let’s stop trying. Easier
said than done, I know – I am the queen of workaholism and
perfectionism, which is actually the thief of joy and often ends
up with us doom-scrolling at 2 a.m. We all have strengths, but
we can’t be good at everything. When you fail (and you will
– we all do), give yourself grace and move on.
An example – I have never been a morning person, and I
probably never will be. I like staying up late and I get some of
my best work done then. My husband and kids aren’t morning
people either, so when I found out the bus pick-up time this
year was moved up to 7:30 a.m., it threw me for a loop. It took
less than a week to realize that getting the kids on the bus just
wasn’t worth the stress and anxiety it caused when I could drive
less than 10 minutes and drop them off at 9 a.m. I used to beat
myself up over things like this, but this year? I just. Don’t. Care.
The moral of the story is, play to your strengths, and do what’s
In spirit, mind and body, we have your family covered.
Kids under 3 are free! *
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