27 Apr Resilient Parenting is Safe Parenting – Finding Ways to Cope
While cliché and overused, all parents can feel the meaning of, “the days are long, but the years are short.” No matter how many parenting books hit the shelves, each child is a unique individual who does not come with their own manual and life itself otherwise will always have its ups and downs. Raising healthy, productive members of society is not for the weak.
Parenting is tough, and all of us need support sometimes.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This week, the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement is focused on the following aspect of the Protective Factors Framework: parental resilience.
The Center for the Study of Social Policy defines resilience as the process of managing stress and functioning well even when faced with challenges, adversity, and trauma. It is a skill parents can build and help them cope. No parent is perfect, just like no family is perfect. But when troubling times come, resilience will help that parent weather the storm and stay strong on the way to the other side. Children model what they see, so watching their parent overcome will also help their kids learn how to face hardship in their own lives.
While resilience is an individual skill, supporting parents shows them that they are valued and encourages them to manage their stress. As parents first and foremost, the members of KY SEAT (Kentucky System Experience At the Table) envision being a voice for all Kentucky parents to be seen, heard, protected, and supported so no family feels alone. Building community and having compassion and understanding for parents is one way to stake parents around us to keep them strong and able to bear the weight of their burdens.
These are steps KY SEAT members take to help them cope as parents:
Practice gratitude regularly. A positive attitude and finding the silver lining in difficult situations can make a big difference!
Lean on inspirational quotes for encouragement. Even better, share the quotes with others as an act of kindness. Research shows that helping others improves your own health and happiness.
Give ourselves grace. One of our council’s ground rules is to refrain from judgment. We all come with different experiences and know that our pasts do not define who we are as people and parents. We use our experiences to be forward thinking and come up with proactive solutions for parents to suggest to decision makers.
Indulge in comfort food. We love snacks – need we say more?
Kentucky kids need strong, supported parents. If you’re a parent yourself, find the coping strategy that works best for you. If you are a community member, find at least one parent to encourage this week. Resilient parenting is safe parenting.
Photo courtesy of childrens.com