Today’s parenting help revolves around parenting stress and ways to stress less as you travel down the parenting path, so you can be at your best as a parent.

Being a good parent is not an easy road and it wreaks havoc on stress levels. In fact, parenting, while so important to our children’s future, is one of the areas that professionals say causes the most stress in a person’s life. Parents worry about their future and that of their children, whether they are doing a good enough job, finances, future goals, parenting techniques, the safety and well-being of their children, their health, the health of their children, trying to keep up with incorporating a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their children, meeting the demands of parenting and the demands of their children, cooking, housekeeping, and most of all, caring for providing your children with certain comforts they may not have had when they were growing up, and not making the same mistakes their parents did, and let’s not forget the automatic guilt that comes with parenting, whether justified or not. Quite a list, don’t you think?

This level of stress in so many areas of daily life can throw good parents into an overwhelming mood, thus causing an unhappy and agitated state, which definitely takes a toll on a person’s well-being. This can interfere with parents being the best they can be for their children, their partner, and themselves. It’s not fair: we have such an important job, but with the responsibility comes an enormous amount of stress that actually ends up diminishing our abilities. Too much stress takes away from us and therefore takes away from our children. Turn stress around, don’t let it change who you are as a person or as a parent. Take these 15 secrets and use them to beat your stress.

1. One thing we have today is that maybe our parents didn’t have a variety of ways to reduce stress. USE THEM, USE THEM! Find the one that works best for you and dedicate yourself to calming your mind and body. Consider regular exercise, meditation techniques, yoga, outings with friends where you can be who you used to be before you had your kids. Taking time for yourself is of great value and it is not long before you can feel the value in your life and in your upbringing.

2. Reach out and take advantage of the wonderful information out there to help you be a good parent and help you through the tough times of parenting. Other moms and dads have a lot to share and you will find that only they have more to offer in terms of information than just the professionals. Don’t let this information go to waste. Milk him for all he’s worth.

3. Feeling overwhelmed is a common trait of parenting. Don’t ignore it, instead get help conquering it before it gets out of hand. Forget what people may think, these people are going through the same thing as you and like you, they don’t want anyone to know how difficult parenting is for them: this is a very common human trait. Smart parents are the ones who get help when they need it and are better parents and partners for it.

4. When you feel yourself going into anger mode, breathe in, count to ten as you slowly exhale. Breathe slowly and controlled.

5. Take time each day to talk with your child and develop good communication. This helps prevent conflicts and helps the child to behave better, thus avoiding stress for the parents.

6. Keep your passions in your life. Don’t let go of the things you love and need to keep smiling and prospering. Having children does not mean neglecting yourself and your needs.

7. Maintain a social life with and without your partner. Having people you can relate to in your life is a gift. People need other people to share and trust for whatever reason. Do not close yourself to the world and live alone in the land of mom or dad. You are an adult, with wants and needs.

8. Be realistic in your expectations of your children. Be aware of parenting, the areas of maturity that encompass difficult times, and stay ahead of them so you don’t feel overwhelmed and surprised when they come your way. Being prepared helps a person feel in control.

9. Avoid parental slip-ups to avoid unnecessary stress on parents.

10. Get a good night’s sleep. If you are not sleeping well, take the appropriate steps to fix the problem. Don’t leave it and think it’s part of parenting. it is not. Good sleep is of great importance for the way the brain works during the day. Not getting enough sleep is a stress-causing factor on its own.

11. Don’t ignore your health. If you have a recurring physical problem or illness, no matter how afraid you may be, you need to face the bullet, face your fear, and address the problem. Remember that not everything is life-threatening and most illnesses can be treated and repaired. In the back of your mind you will be stressing about an illness or health problem that you are not addressing. By addressing it, you’ll be fixing it and dealing with it, which is better than ignoring it and then having something to worry about later.

12. Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you feel overwhelmed with a child, make an informed decision about when or if you will have another. Don’t let your pregnancies pile up on you if you’re not inclined to it. Take your time and don’t let anything or anyone push you in a direction you’re not ready for.

13. If you have marital problems, deal with them. Don’t let them pile up and don’t let them get the best of you. Also remember that your children will learn how to be a couple from the examples you and your partner set, so address marital problems and resolve them. Don’t be afraid to get professional help if you feel you need it. Professional marital assistance is extremely common and you may feel alone, but believe me, you are not. It’s just one of those things that everyone hides.

14. Don’t compare yourself to other parents and families. Everyone has different circumstances. What you may think looks so good in another family might as well just be an act because everyone wants to look like the perfect parent in front of other parents. Every couple has their problems and every parent has their strengths and weaknesses. In today’s society, people don’t want to share their flaws, they just want to look perfect.

15. Be aware of areas of childhood that cause problems in a child’s behavior, such as poor diet, poor sleep habits, and excessive television viewing, to name a few. These areas that cause misbehavior will only add stress to your life and cause unnecessary friction as you try to control the behavior. There is already a lot of time that you as a parent will have to deal with your children’s bad behavior, there is no need to add more.

Parental stress is part of parenting territory, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do what is necessary to limit this stress as much as possible and do the things necessary to help yourself perform well under stress and harshness. Root out as much parenting stress as you can, stress less, and be the best parent.