How to let go of parental guilt

Got toddlers in the house? Are you feeling a bit overwhlemed that you're not on top of it all, all the time? Here are four tips to help you feel you're doing the best you can

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How to let go of parental guilt

1. Look to the future. Guilt focuses on the past, which you can’t change, rather than the future, which you can. Ask yourself, ‘Am I doing the best I can for my children right now?’ If not, decide to do it differently.

2. Trust yourself. Unexpected challenges can leave parents feeling anxious. But life is all about change, trust that you can handle whatever comes along.

3. Don’t juggle, dance. Juggling is stressful and often fails. Instead, dance. That means accepting change, reacting to what’s happening and keeping moving. Dancing is a lot easier than juggling.

4. Set good, but not impossible, standards. Don’t feel guilty about not being a superparent, because they don’t exist. Focus on being the best version of yourself that you can be. Yes, you’ll be a bit rubbish sometimes, but it doesn’t make you a bad parent – it makes you human.

Joanne Mallon is a life coach and author of ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual: A Guide to Surviving the Years One to Four (Written by Parents, for Parents) which is published by Nell James and costs £7.99

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