Is everyday family life a little too stressful? With these tips you will become a slow family!

Before you think that we're trying to sell you snake oil here: We know only too well that no online guide in the world can turn everyday family life with small children upside down. After all, we are parents ourselves. There are no magic spells that will fix everything immediately. And there are no general solutions either.

But what there is always: hope. That's why we believe that with these tips, everyday daycare and kindergarten life , work , leisure time and all the circus in between can be made a little easier.

So: Have fun with this Dextro Energy* story. Grab your tips and treat yourself to this break. The goal: a slow family . A relaxed family life. Maybe the path there begins right here with us? It would be an honor for us.

 

Everyday life with small children: This is crazy, why are you sending me...

Active families in particular know that everyday family life with small children is full of hurdles. And it is longer than 110 meters. Toddlers have their own views, their own rituals and - above all - their own timing and boundaries . If you don't pay attention to these, everyday kindergarten or daycare life will quickly become a stress test. A relaxed family life always begins with the “weakest” link in the chain: the parents . To the parents? You read that right. Children are usually not the “problem”. Because:

 

Parental stress is like a virus in everyday life with small children

Stress is contagious. If the parents are stressed, the children will be stressed. So as long as the parents are not on track, the house blessing will be lopsided. If mom or dad want to organize everyday life, children are initially grateful. But if everything has to happen very quickly, if the parents are surly and perhaps even threatening in their manner, it will be difficult. And nothing works anymore. Therefore, for everything that is important, please:

• Plan time: If you know you have to leave at 2 p.m., please don't start getting dressed at 1:50 p.m. - even if it's only 5 minutes to daycare or kindergarten. Schedule time. Plan that your dwarf will first want to say goodbye to all the dinosaurs or stuffed animals. Or would like to slowly put on the shoes yourself.
• Explain in advance: If you know that something important is coming up the next day or in a few hours, explain it to your child in advance. Also with practice runs. For example, if it's your first time going to the pediatrician, you can go through what your child will expect a day in advance. This can work wonders, especially before your first visit to the dentist. Training reduces worries and increases the chances that your child will join in when the big day comes.
• Integrate the children: Children are generally interested in taking part. As beautiful as knight's castles or building blocks are, the best game for children is actually always to help the grown-ups imitate their actions - to understand the world through play. You can use this to your advantage: Give your child important tasks when an important appointment comes up. “Please bring the basket to the car” or “Please make sure your teddy bear does everything right on the street” can work wonders to motivate your child – and save time. "Come on now!" just has no magic.

These three rules help reduce stress for parents because they make stressful everyday life with children less likely. Already in advance. Children are capable of so much. If you give them time, don't take them by surprise and make them feel like they are part of the family and its routine.

 

From stressed parents who don't think about themselves

We know: If mom or dad has to organize everyday life for the children , work, do the housework and somehow try to keep everything together, yoga, Pilates and meditation are just like that, right?

Nevertheless, we would highly recommend that you give yourself a break every now and then .

Ask neighbors, family or friends if they can look after the children for a moment (or yours too, so you don't lose sight of them), just park your child on the playground, sit down and take a breath. Or communicate directly with your sweetheart: “I need a time out now, please play in the other room while you do.”

Another tip: Some stores, such as certain Swedish furniture stores, for example, have (huge) child-friendly play worlds where children can let off steam. So if you can drop your child off there, they can play with other dwarves while you simply treat yourself to a coffee in the catering area...

 

Family resilience: the magic word

A pretty complicated magic word, admittedly. Family resilience encompasses all the beliefs, skills, talents, and strategies of family members and the family as a whole that help overcome crises . This doesn't just mean parents, but also the children themselves. A stressful everyday family life is usually characterized by the fact that the necessary resources for greater resilience are missing - or are still dormant.

Open communication can increase resilience – not just in everyday daycare. Whether you are a single parent or a team member, whether you live with one or two children or a large family: talk to each other. This also includes setting clear boundaries. To set rituals and basically make it clear to each other: I am me. I also need my space, my time, my recharging phases. A slow family is characterized by talking and listening .

Family resilience can be a powerful everyday helper. If you develop strategies for how you want to deal with certain situations, these situations will no longer throw you off track as easily.

If the daycare unexpectedly closes because there is a flu epidemic, you may have already developed an emergency plan . If a family member is unavailable due to illness, the others step in. Babysitters, aunts and uncles or good friends are informed, true to the motto “It takes a village to raise a child”.

Basically, resilient families distribute tasks clearly, fulfill roles consciously and do not “spare” children.

A three-year-old toddler notices very quickly when he is being sidelined - this doesn't have to be the case because small children can certainly help . Even if it's just by relieving mom or dad by calmly looking at a book, listening to a radio play or watching a child-friendly series.

An active everyday family life makes life easier. For all. @iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages

 

Everyday family life and nature: Hello peace and quiet!

After planning, communication and rituals, the next everyday helper for a relaxed family life is: Mother Nature. This mother of all mothers offers you so much:

• Relaxation because there are no appointments in the forest or in the mountains. Just you, the hiking trails, fresh air and so much to explore.
• Energy , because said fresh air is simply good for you. Because new horizons clear your head. And because children can be children here and develop their own resilience and self-confidence.
• Space because you don't sit together in an apartment. The kids are playing on a meadow further ahead - and the adults have time to talk. Or just be silent, hold hands and feel that everything is fine. By the way, this also applies if you go out into nature alone with your child: enjoy the peace and quiet. Nature grounds you.
• Action because you can climb and bike, run and swim, go boating and do so much more. Sport in nature is the premier class for body and soul.

Whether it's a city park or the Alps, the Black Forest or a meadow on the edge of the village: go out together. Take a breath. Feels good and helps to develop more resilience. Especially when the ceiling falls on your head at home and the walls get closer. By the way: The quickly available carbohydrates in our Energy* Gums and Dextro Minis quickly replenish parents' glycogen stores - if the adventures in nature become a little more strenuous...

 

You are what you eat: Nutrition for everyday life with (small) children

If everything has to happen very quickly, nutrition suffers in particular: frozen pizza, nuggets and fries are tempting because a) children like to eat them and b) they are so quick and easy to prepare. There's just one catch: careless nutrition is not only bad for well-being and health, it also devalues ​​rituals - and thus damages the resilience of the family. That's why you can make sure to always pay attention to what you eat and drink, no matter how stressful you are:

• You can have small everyday helpers such as our dextrose products , fruit and vegetables ready at any time to replenish your carbohydrate stores. Because the following applies: If mom and dad are well looked after, they can also take better care of the kids.
• Drinking is essential. To ensure that adults and children do not forget to drink, we recommend having a “drink bar” in the home. This is where your glasses and bottles are, this is where you meet every hour for a little chat and a good sip of water, tea or juice.
• Whether it's breakfast , lunch or dinner , high-quality food is so important. There are separate guides for this, but at this point this much: The 80/20 rule is ideal here. 80 percent healthy, wholesome food and 20 percent “fun food” make children happy, take the seriousness out of nutrition and also pamper them. So if you pair two whole grain breads, some fruit and vegetables with a chocolate muffin for breakfast, you're doing a lot right.
• Take time for your rituals . No matter how stressful life is, we eat together whenever possible. In a nice group, fully focused on each other. Television or radio plays should be turned off. You can then use these rituals to tell each other how you are feeling. And listen. Very important.

 

We know that these can all just be tips. Every family is unique. But we hope that you have gained some inspiration. For more peace and quiet, for a slow family that masters everyday family life more casually and playfully. Maybe not always, but more and more often!

* contains carbohydrates 

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

PHOTO CREDITS

Header image: @iStock.com/Halfpoint