1. Stress and Parenting

2. Stress and Parenting 1. What is stress?
2. Identifying our sources of stress?
3. How can we manage stress in ourselves/and our children more effectively.
4. When does stress become toxic

3. Stress and Parenting WHAT IS STRESS?
Working definition of stress: Stress is a life event or situation that causes an imbalance in an individual's life.

4. Stress and Parenting Normal stress: Daily and life challenges.
Bad stress: Occurs when our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed by the stress and we do not function at our best.
Good stress: Optimal amount of stress that results in our feeling energized and motivated to do our best work.

5. Stress and Parenting SOURCES OF STRESS
Figuring out what is really bothering us and narrowing it down to the one or two things, will help us be able to problem solve our stress more effectively.

6. Stress and Parenting Telling ourselves things like:
“I'm so overwhelmed, I can't take it anymore!”“Everybody is watching me. I can't handle this. I'm going to faint. I'm such a loser.”
These mental habits can make the stress response last longer and make it much more punishing than it needs to be.

7. Stress and Parenting
Mom:“So, you're feeling angry that Johnny called you a bad name, and it hurt your feelings and you're afraid that he is mad at you and might call you another bad name?”
Child: “That's not it. “It's my teacher. I know she hates me because she gave me a D on my spelling test.
Mom: “Oh, I see. So, you're afraid that Mrs. so and so is upset with you and gave you a D on your spelling test?”

8. Stress and Parenting
Child: “No, she gave everyone a D.” “It's this stupid play I have to do. I know I'll forget all my lines.” Mom: “Oh, yeah, that makes sense. It is scary to be in front of people like that and have to say all that stuff. I get scared too. How can we make it less scary? We could practice it together until you can say it in your sleep—“

9. Unpredictable Predictable Vulnerability Resilient
Stress and Parenting
MANAGING STRESS
Stress
Unpredictable Predictable
Severe Moderate
Prolonged Controlled
Vulnerability Resilient

10. Stress and Parenting Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

11. Stress and Parenting
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

12. Stress and Parenting
Best antidote to stress: A major factor in healing appears to be the nature, quality, intensity and stability of a person's relationships.
So, for all of us—having good relationships with our spouse, our kids, our friends—where regular time is spent, we can talk about things, we enjoy each other, we laugh together, etc.

13. Stress and Parenting SUGGESTED READING:
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky
Undoing Perpetual Stress by Richard O'Connor
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff. By Richard Carlson
Running Scared by Ed Welsh

14. Stress and Parenting