Parental Sensory Overload
With the current social situation- being cut off from family and friends, outlets for physical activity, school, work, and other sources of self care - we are finding ourselves spending a lot of time with our kids. In theory this is an incredible gift, but in reality every parent can attest to how difficult this can be. Highly sensitive parents may even experience parental sensory overload - you may not know it. Characterized by high irritability, low patience, and feeling out of control emotionally with little to no provocation, parental sensory overload effects most parents at some point or another. Exposure to loud and repetitive noise, emotional and physical neediness, and constant decision making can lead anyone to their wits end. If you find yourself breaking down by the end of the day - crying, yelling, being short with the kids - we have a few suggestions that may help curb parental sensory overload.
1. Accept your temperament - know your triggers and accept your limitations. As not all children are made equally, not all parents are made equally too. Try not to compare yourself to others. Be easy on yourself.
2. Prioritize down time - just as your phone needs to be charged when it's battery is dead, you need to have time to recharge at the end of the day. The current situation makes it hard to reach out to family and friends for help. Try getting creative with fitting in down time into your day. Instead of doing laundry during nap time, take a moment for a bubble bath, read a good book, watch some TV, listen to music. If you don't make time for your health, you will be forced to make time for your illness.
3.Simplify your schedule - you know your children and their schedule better than anyone. Pin point the activities that will demand more of you and plan simple activities before and after to make up the energy. If you are working from home, schedule in quality time (10-15 minutes) with the kids. It helps make both yourself and the kids feel more fullfilled.
4. Streamline decision making - we are all suffering from decision fatigue these days, try taking a step back to prioritize the big decisions. Making a routine and meal plans can help cut out some of the smaller daily decisions.
5. Step back from the chaos - sometimes family life is chaotic, and there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Learning the best ways to quickly calm yourself can be key - 5 deep breaths in and out, a quick cup of tea, turning down the tv/, dim the lights, give yourself a foot rub - whatever works for you in the moment.
We at Kidnasium know that, now more than ever, parenting is hard. Be easy on yourself. Breathe. Take time. And always remember, although no one is a superhuman, to your kids, you will always be a super hero.