I believe that being a parent is the hardest job in the world.
And the current pandemic is making this job even harder.
We parents do the best we can. And my feeling is that each generation of parents gets better and better.
I interact with many mothers and fathers these days, and it seems like many of them feel guilty for a variety of reasons, including:
1. Although they may be working from home due to sheltering in place, they don’t spend as much time with their kids as they would like.
2. They are letting their kids play more video games and spend more time online participating in non-educational screen time.
3. They are not encouraging their kids to play outside.
4. They are not spending as much time together outdoors with their kids as they feel they should.
5. They are not arranging as many socially distanced play dates or activities for their kids.
6. They may not be eating or providing meals for their families in as healthy a way as they would like.
7. Parents may be spending a lot more time watching television or playing video games themselves.
Perhaps there are other things along these lines that you are experiencing, too.
We are role models for our kids.
When I first started learning how to do medical hypnosis, I videotaped my sessions and sent them to my mentor, Dan Kohen, MD. Dan is one of the premier experts in pediatric hypnosis.
I would watch these videos and “beat myself up.” I was extremely critical and it seemed that all I saw were the mistakes I was making, and where I could improve.
Then Dan gave me a wonderful gift.
He encouraged me to look at the videos and notice the GOOD things I had done.
And it was nice to appreciate them.
Yes, raising children is challenging.
And with the current COVID situation, this is an exceedingly unusual and difficult time. The pandemic has not happened before in any of our lifetimes. There are no easy roadmaps to follow.
So, rather than focusing on your own perceived shortcomings, I invite you parents to NOTICE and WRITE DOWN the wonderful things you ARE doing for your children and families.
As stated earlier, being a parent is the hardest job in the world. And the most important. And the most rewarding!
So, CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES and your positive moments and contributions.
CONGRATULATE YOURSELVES for the wonderful things you ARE doing for your families. It’s okay to feel proud of yourselves, especially now.
And keep up the GREAT JOB you’re doing!!
Special COVID-19 resources to help with your child’s IBS symptoms
Due to these strange and uncertain times, I’ve created some extra free resources.
Click here to see a couple brief videos designed to help your family cope with the stress of COVID-19. This will give you a brief taste, more like the tip of the iceberg, of some of the skills you can learn from my program, “Controlling Your Gut Feelings®.”
For a more comprehensive approach to prepare your child for many of the above scenarios, “Controlling Your Gut Feelings®” provides patients the skills and tools needed to control both the symptoms of IBS and abdominal pain, and also the anxiety that accompanies these conditions.
Or, if your child is suffering from IBS symptoms and you’d like a one-on-one consultation, I’d love to speak with you and help you in any way I can. I hear from many of my patients that they feel like they’ve “tried everything” before finally breaking through with me.
My mission is to help as many families as possible, especially with everything going on in the world today. If you’d like to chat, you can book a free consultation with me here.
Dr. Lazarus
Jeffrey E. Lazarus, MD, FAAP is a board certified pediatrician who combines more than 25 years of general pediatrics experience with the use of medical hypnosis and visualization techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy strategies, and powerful motivational tools.
