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Let’s be honest, we’ve all seen that one parent completely lose it with their child in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Whether the child was acting up or not, the damage had been done. And while many of us don’t ever want to snap at our children, sometimes stress gets the better of us and it simply happens. As parents, our jobs never end; so it stands to reason that some days we are going to be a bit more high-strung than others; after all, it isn’t easy juggling family life, work and health daily. As the demands for work and finances increase in a parents’ life, so does the stress. And the ones who usually get caught in the cross-fire are the children. If mom and dad are feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders, chances are you are going to snap at your child at some point unless some of this pressure is released. It's important to remember that no one person is perfect. Here are a few ways you can snap out of snapping at your kids! Snap Out of Snapping at Your Kids Don’t beat yourself up If you do have the occasional slip-up (and you more than likely will), let it go. Keep in mind that as a parent, you are still learning how to be one. There is never a time where you won’t be learning how to be a parent. By the time your child is twenty, you are still having new parenting experiences. So, if you fly off the handle; be easy on yourself, learn from your mistakes and course-correct. Talk to yourself like you would your child who made a mistake! Take time for yourself It is very important that you take time for yourself to do whatever it is you love to do, whether that is reading a book, going out dancing or simply catching up on your favourite series. Have me-time is a way of loving yourself. If you have ever been on an airplane, the flight attendants usually tell parents that if the oxygen mask falls from the ceiling to put the mask on yourself first, then put it on your child. The reason being is that in an emergency situation, when most peoples’ rationale goes out the window, the only person that can look after a child is their parent. You do your child no good if you are unconscious or unavailable for them. So, make yourself available to them by taking care of you and loving yourself. De-stress When you set yourself up for success by giving yourself what you need, whether that be sleep, food or a massage, you set your children up for success too. When you take time to destress and love yourself enough to give yourself what you need to be happy, your children only benefit. Additionally, they will see you behaving this way and may even replicate it in their own lives. You will be calmer, more collected and present, and if your child begins triggering you in some way, you will be more apt to respond to the situation instead of merely reacting to it. Take care of survival first. People are interesting creatures: we are capable of so much creativity and enlightenment, and at the same time that creativity, compassion and vitality can fly right out the window if our survival isn’t taken care of. When basic needs are threatened, such as food, water and shelter, we fall into survival mode which isn’t necessarily healthy for our emotional and mental states. And what is worse is that our children pick up on it and naturally mimic their parents’ mental and emotional states. Understand your own triggers. What sets you off? What is stressing you out that you are taking it out on your child? And more importantly, what can you do to ease the stress? Understanding yourself and your triggers is not just some personal development mumbo jumbo, it is having the knowledge and awareness of preventing an outburst before it happens. If you know that lack of sleep keeps you from being calm and collected, or money issues are weighing down on you, do whatever preventative measures you can so that these triggers don’t set you off in front of your child. If you feel calmer once the bills are paid, then pay the bills in advance. If you have made a habit of not getting enough sleep which turns you into a grumpy humbug in the morning, then start going to bed earlier. Know yourself and your quirks, and do something about it. If you are stressed most of the time, and find it hard to relax or not worry, then perhaps some form of intervention is needed; not just for you, but for your children as well. There are several professionals in and around PJ who can help you destress and emotionally detox if needed. If you need to drop your children off somewhere for a few hours such as your parents’ house, or perhaps a centre that offers additional hourly drop-off services such as Little Human Scholars in Petaling Jaya (wink wink), then take that much needed time for yourself by allowing trustworthy friends and family watch your children. Again, when you take care of yourself and give yourself what you need, you are more able to take care of your children, be present with them, and be cool, calm and collected in otherwise stressful situations. About Little Human Scholars School in PJ Little Human Scholars is an all-in-one childcare solution. It is a preschool, playschool, kindergarten, nursery and full day daycare centre (with extended hours) located in the heart of PJ. In fact, the location is one of the things which makes Little Human Scholars so sought after – it is conveniently nestled near Jalan Gasing, University hospital, PJ Old town, PJ New town, Jaya One, Jaya33, and the PJ IT Mall. The best part is LHS has premiere services many other schools in PJ don’t offer such as full day daycare with extended hours, CCTV access for parents, and a nifty little phone app called Toddlytic which provides parents with automatic updates on their child’s development, behaviour and health checks. With full-time guards always present at each of their locations, access to CCTV (which is in every room except the office, bathroom and kitchen areas), and very strict pick-up and drop-off rules, Little Human Scholars treats every child who walks into its hallways as one of their own children! This place has it all: location, safety, health, IGSCE curriculum and play-based learning. What more could you ask for? Did I mention they also have transportation services and offer meal plans for students? It doesn’t get any better than that. If you are interested in a tour of one of our centres (that’s right, there’s more than one), all you need to do is fill out the form here or call +6017-7303-025 and an LHS administrative staff will get back with you shortly! Cheers, Jana Moreno

Snap Out of Snapping at Your Kids

Let’s be honest, we’ve all seen that one parent completely lose it with their child in the cereal aisle of the grocery store.…

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