Lesson 2: Lesson 2: Impact on Family & Society
Taking Charge of Your Life
We begin this program by first taking care of ourselves! When we are frazzled, uptight, stressed to the max, and working double time to keep our emotions in check, we are a time bomb ready to explode! And we explode all over the people we love the most!! Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. It can also be one of the most stressful! Taking care of children is energy draining, and when dealing with the constant demands of an impulsive, hyperactive child, any reserves of patience and tolerance we might have quickly become drained. At the end of a day, we just want to sit down with no interruptions! Over time, we begin to feel angry and resentful of having no time for ourselves, and then feel guilty because we have such feelings! It creates a vicious cycle leading to anger problems, depression, helplessness and hopelessness. So, while it may seem selfish at first, it is critical that we carve out some special time for ourselves each day! It is important to find time to recharge our energy. Not doing so can create problems that will take a lot more energy, time and money to resolve!
This is a time to be honest and ask yourself some hard questions: Do I get so angry that I have difficulty restraining myself from hitting my child? (Striking a child when you are angry is NOT discipline and it can harm him). Do I feel helpless and hopeless and want to run away from home? Am I so tired every night that it is all I can do to crawl into bed? Even when I’m tired, do I have difficulty going to sleep and/or staying asleep? Do I find myself hating my child more than I do loving him? Do I find it difficult to think of any good attributes in my child? Do I find myself yelling more than talking? Do I find myself constantly finding fault with my spouse or with my other children? We all feel frustrated and angry and overwhelmed at times. We all yell and feel like throttling our children when they push us to the limits (but we don’t!). But when this becomes the norm, we are “burning out” and need assistance NOW! Even though we will be learning many useful strategies, if you are currently in a crisis, get some immediate help!
Then take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and know that you are not alone and that you are now taking charge of your life! One of the first and most important ways to begin to make positive changes is through acceptance of what is happening and focusing on possibilities and solutions. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly and acknowledge that you are not alone, and you are now taking charge of your life!
Here are some ways to start taking care of “you”:
