As a parent, it’s one of the toughest things to do, and it comes to us about as naturally as a fish out of water, but staying calm when your child gets hurt is a discipline you must form. You must keep in mind when you consider those affected by your panic, nine times out of ten, your terrified fit of anxiety will do absolutely no good. For your sake, your child’s sake, and the rest of your family’s sake… learn to get those moments of potential chaos it under control.
Stay Calm for You
Fight your “fight or flight” instinct when you see your little dude come crashing down on his bike. Your first call to action as a mom is to think logically: assess the situation. Is this an emergency or is this just an unhappy moment? Act accordingly. If you’re making a trip to the emergency room, you have a right to feel panicked inside – no one will take that from you. But if you make a habit of feeling that same “emergency room panic” every time something bad happens, it’s going to wear on your health, not to mention shave years off your life.
We imagine you’re thinking, “easier said than done.” Maybe so, so here are some things that may help you along the way: Remember to breathe, long and slow deep breaths in a stressful situation will help. Refresh your perspective and remind yourself that kids are kids, scraped knees and bumps and bruises will happen with or without your panic. Lastly? Anticipate these things. Be ready for trips and falls and little accidents by keeping a prepared emergency kit near by; doing this will allow you to take quick and calm logical steps in moments of stress.
Staying Calm for Your Child
Let’s focus on the fact that if something has happened and your child is seriously hurt, you are in control. You will not think logically if you are a basket-case, and your child will not get the care they need as quickly as they could if you had remained calm. In serious situations, your child is relying on you to control the situation. On the flip side? Your child looks for you to control the situation either way. Many times, when children take little falls, they’re scared.
They immediately look to mom for consolation, and this is mom’s chance to assure them with their reaction that they are fine. Saying, “you’re okay!” with a big smile, many times, will result in an uneasy smile on their parts, and on we go to the next activity. Seeing mom panic, however, gives the child reason to panic as well.
Staying Calm for Your Family
Being a parent is tough, mostly because of the tremendous amount of responsibility that comes along with it. Mothers, for most, are seen as the source of consolation and reason amidst chaos. Moms just know how to make things better, it’s just what they do. You, as a mom, know that nobody made you specially qualified for that, but it is in your title – like it or not. This means in emergency situations and when things are scary, your entire family looks to you for guidance, wisdom, comfort. Stay calm for your family, because they depend on you.
Nobody said it was easy, but being a mom does require you to reel in your emotions sometimes to stay calm for you and your family. Do this by keeping a fresh perspective, reminding yourself to breathe, and always having a logical plan for when disaster strikes.
