Today Tile Triggered Content

When parenting, things can quickly become overwhelming. The stress that comes with raising young children, combined with wider aspects of everyday life can, at times, throw you into a negative headspace. Pausing and recognising when you’re being overly critical of yourself can help. If it’s been a hard day, we urge you to remember: 

Given how hectic your life is, it may seem as though having fun is the last thing on your priority list. In this TED Talk, science journalist Catherine Price explores the meaning and importance of having fun. It might inspire you to spend 12 minutes removing yourself from the bustle of daily life and concentrate on fun – your fun.

Your child needs to move and will often be in motion as they explore their world and develop their brain, but they are also developing the balance and focus needed to keep their body still. Now they’re able to enjoy being still for short periods of time you could try having a moment of mindfulness together by meditating.  

Meditation is a big concept, especially for a child, but at its core it means taking the time to be still and reflect.  

Whether you are the dedicated "bedtime reader" or your child comes home from nursery or someone else's house with a tale about what happened that day, stories are an intrinsic part of your life. They help us make sense of life and understand others.^[1] We use stories (often unwittingly) to connect ourselves to others, share memories and build relationships.^[2]  

As an adult, talking about books you've read or conversations you've had can continue to boost your own language and understanding of certain topics and subjects – we never stop learning! You might not have time to start reading War and Peace, but embracing the everyday stories around you can do wonders for your wellbeing. 

Do you find your to do list is always growing? Life with children is busy and there often isn’t time to pause and think about yourself and what makes you happy.  

If this resonates with you, don't worry – you aren’t alone. 

Your toddler is learning so much about themselves now and starting to want to be more independent and make choices. This is a brilliant time for their development but can be a challenging time for you – and with a busy life it can be easy to forget about looking after your wellbeing. Stop for a moment today and think about how you take care of yourself as well as your toddler.