Staying
at home with the kids year after year can lead to burn out. Sometimes, it may
take only a few months for this malady to develop. If you know the signs of
burn out, you can seek help or make necessary changes before things get too out
of hand.
Here are some signs of which you should be aware.
- Short temper – Lots of things can cause a person
to have a short temper. When you normally are pretty patient, but you
start losing your temper on more and more occasions, especially over small
things, it’s time to take inventory. This could signal a problem
- Letting the kids rule the house – If your kids
have taken over the house and you no longer are in charge, it could very
well mean you are experiencing burn out.
- Lack of discipline for the children – Some parents
are permissive and it would seem that there is little discipline in the
home to begin with, but if you normally keep a rather disciplined home and
now it’s beginning to get ragged around the edges, you might want to look
into the cause. Kids need and want discipline even though they are
constantly pushing to find out where the boundaries are.
- Lack of energy – This is more
than a matter of your get up and go has gotten up and left! If you suffer
from a great loss of energy over a period of time, you really need to
determine what the problem is. It could be a lack of rest or poor eating
habits. It could be some vitamin deficiency or even too many cloudy days.
Or it could be burn out from your time with the kids. Find out what’s
causing your energy drain so you can remedy the situation.
- Constant fatigue – This is
another sign of burn out. However, keep in mind it is also a symptom of
other disorders as well. Start with taking a little time away without the
kids. If the break doesn’t cure the fatigue, you may need to consult your
doctor to get some help determining the cause.
- Feeling guilty all the time – If you are
always feeling guilty about every little thing concerning your kids, it
could be a burn out problem. It’s really okay to leave them with a sitter
for a little while so you can go out and do something for yourself. You
need your alone time and some grown up time, both of which will help
prevent burn out.
- Nonstop stress – Parenting is
stressful at times, but not constantly. You may be experiencing constant
stress and this is a problem. Too much time with the kids and not enough
away time to balance it out could be the cause.
- Unhappiness – There is a certain joy in parenting,
but perhaps you don’t feel that way anymore. If despondency has taken over
your life with your kids, it’s time to do something about it. Find ways to
rejuvenate yourself and you’ll soon find that joy in parenting returning
as well.
- Lack of social life – Many parents
will tell you they don’t have a social life at all. Still, most parents
have some type of social life, whether it is with other parents, family
members, a few close friends, worship services, or playgroups. If you had
such relationships, and now they are considerably few or nonexistent,
there is probably trouble brewing. Time to reconnect with your friends in
the adult world.
- Lack of self-care – Hanging out
at home in sweats is one thing, but staying in your pajamas for days at a
time is not healthy. If you are not taking care of yourself and have lost
interest in personal appearance and hygiene, either you are experiencing
burn out or something equally as serious is going on. It’s time to get
help and the sooner the better.
There
are several factors that can lead to burn out. Dealing with a child that has
critical needs is one of the major causes for burn out. Unrealistic
expectations for yourself and/or your child are also reasons. What you need to
know is that it can be prevented and if you do burn out, there is help
available, but you still need to reach out and receive it.
Contacts and sources:
Hannah Anderson
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