The Parents Day of Rest 2022
For years I lost the sparkle of the holidays, and I couldn’t figure out why - and then I realized that even though kid’s Christmas crafts are fun and the music reminded me of being a kid, I liked so much more than just the kid stuff around the holidays.
And so I started the Parents’ Day of Rest, where I indulge in everything I love about the season - Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, old black and white movies, and dark chocolate, to name a few - and I also took a break. I used it as a real excuse to take a REST right in the middle of the craziest week of the year. And do you know what? The sparkle was BACK, baby. I felt joy, whimsy, and the delight the holidays can fill your heart with. Join me this year, won’t you? Use the hashtag #parentsdayofrest on IG and share what you do!
Save the Date: Parents’ Day of Rest every December 21st
Break free from the grip of Mom Guilt and embrace a journey of self-compassion and gratitude. Practical actions to shift your mindset, widen your perspective, and nurture a positive parenting experience. Lets release guilt, embrace imperfections, and reclaim control of our emotions!
Parenting with Gratitude™: For moms seeking a path to finding inner goodness, embracing imperfection, and feeling GoodAF, a guide to discovering inner motivations, adjusting mindset, and cultivating daily gratitude practices.
Intensive Parenting, also known as helicopter parenting, is widely accepted in the US but is causing burnout among primary caregivers, particularly moms. We must lighten the load by embracing Imperfect Parenting and avoiding gender stereotypes. We can raise healthy, happy, and well-adjusted children by supporting each other without sacrificing our well-being.
Recently I decided to ask the ChatGPT AI machine the question: How does Gratitude Improve Parenting? I know from personal experience that gratitude has improved my relationship with my kids, self, and partner — but I wanted to hear what the research AI had to say.
According to psychologists, burnout is a physiological and psychological state we can reach when the following things go off the rails: Sleep, Healthy Choices (whatever that means to you), Resources, and Support. A state means it’s temporary - which is a good thing, right? That’s our first step out of the tunnel. Perspective to see that even though everything is a mess and so heavy and demanding, it is temporary can help.
Inside each one of these blog posts, I do hope you find something that resonates with you and helps you to feel like a GoodAF mom - because you are! Let’s get into parenting with gratitude.
Not everyone is going to agree on what is optimal for how often to practice gratitude (even the scientists are split) but I have a clear reason why every day should be your goal.
You won’t want to miss this post because it will explain why gratitude is going to change your relationship with motherhood.
Yes, we can have the intention to be better parents, but if that means we are unhappy parents then maybe it’s time for a system breakdown.
Instead of trying to be a better parent, let’s start being better to ourselves.
Let’s face we all go through some form of Caregiver Burnout at one point or another - how can gratitude help?
2020 has tested our collective patience. I don’t think anyone will come out of this year the same as we all went in. Could this be a good time to shake up your parenting then? It’s already a marathon why not make a few tweaks to make the experience a bit more fulfilling - for us.
Parenting with gratitude is an easy way to shift your daily experience from frustration to happiness and contentment.