Parents and Stress 2

All this week we’re looking at some strategies for reducing the stress you may be feeling as a parent. This comes in response to the recent Surgeon General’s advisory on Parents Under Pressure, and the fact that forty-one percent of parents say that they are so stressed they cannot function. My suggestion for you today is this: pull back on the amount of time that you and your children spend each day looking at screens. TV’s, computers, and smartphones have been around so long that we now know while there are good aspects related to the use of these tools, they are among other things addictive, they lure us into wasting time, they lead us into the unhealthy practice of comparison to others, they leave us feeling lonely, and they make us anxious. All of these aspects and others combine to fuel stress that’s toxic, while keeping us from those things that are most important. Quiet times with the Lord are sure to suffer. Parents, peel back in ways that release the steam that’s built up in your life.