When Mom Needs A Break

When Mom Needs a Break
Some Useful Tips for Stressed Out Mothers

Apr 5, 2010

Rahela Choudhury

By trying to abide by society's standards for "ideal motherhood", many mothers are becoming needlessly stressed out. Here are some tips for dealing with that stress.

Mothers today, whether they work or stay at home, are more stressed out than ever before. Due to the rise in nuclear families most mothers, both single and married, perform more domestic duties alone. This along with society's changing expectations regarding "ideal motherhood" compounds the daily stress mothers face today. This maternal stress, combined with stress faced by working mothers, can be detrimental to one's health and well-being.

Stressed Mothers More Likely to View Their Children as Being Difficult
A study from the Journal of Pediatric Psychology revealed that maternal stress is more likely to cause mothers to view their children as being temperamentally difficult. The study, led by Stephen J. Sheinkopf, was conducted at Bradley Hospital, Brown Medical School and Women & Infants' Hospital and consisted of asking a group of mothers, some of whom had indulged in cocaine use during pregnancy, how temperamental they viewed their infants to be.

The result was that extremely stressed out mothers, regardless of whether they engaged in drug use or not, were more likely to view their babies as being temperamental. It also found that low socioeconomic status exacerbated maternal stress. Past studies have revealed that high maternal stress is related to children exhibiting poor behavior. In addition to its negative impact upon children, built up stress can cause long-term health problems for mothers, ranging from ulcers to depression and anxiety.

Some Mothers Rebel Against Standards for Ideal Motherhood
Society's changing expectations regarding ideal motherhood further aggravate maternal stress. Modern mothers today are expected daily to handle the housework, plan and prepare meals, ferry the kids to and from school/after-school activities, be actively involved in the PTA, entertain kids, help them with homework, break up the kids' fights, maintain bedtime routines, and/or work outside the home all at the same time primarily on their own.

On top of this today's mothers are expected to live by the latest trends in childcare and household maintenance, which include things like exclusively breastfeeding, preparing health conscious meals, sustaining an eco-friendly home life, busying kids with lots of kid-friendly outings and activities, and so on. While living by these trends is admirable, it becomes difficult to maintain when mothers are stressed by their more mundane domestic duties.Read more at Suite101: When Mom Needs a Break: Some Useful Tips for Stressed Out Mothers http://womenshealth.suite101.com/article.cfm/when-mom-needs-a-break#ixzz0n41mSp73

Be a blessing and be blessed,

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