Parrot Talk: Stressors That Keep You from Seeing

Parents, what I want you to do now is STOP…stressing…and relax! The Today Show recently conducted a survey of 7,164 U.S. mothers which indicated that once parents reach “…a certain critical mass of kids, life seems to get a bit better”.  Three seems to be the point at which most moms indicate the highest level of stress, 8.5 out of a 10 point scale.  More than three kids and the stress seems to diminish according to today.com. 

 

But the common denominator is that 75% of all mothers say that they are stressed from within, not by outside pressure.  Imagine that percentage of moms stressing about the stress they feel within.  It’s crazy what pressure American moms feel --and, I’m sure moms in other parts of the world feel that stress too!  It’s that need for perfection. Flash to all moms everywhere!  Perfection is unattainable, so use the same 10 second rule you do when your child drops something on the floor, and you dust it off and call out to the world, “It’s the 10 second rule”! 

 

Go easy on yourself!  Parenting is a journey to be enjoyed.  Stress is real and may at some point, if left unchecked, cause you to miss out on the fun and enjoyment of those “blips” in childrearing.  You know, the stories that later become legendary at family gatherings, and which are nostalgically embellished as the years go by!

 

OK, now for the question I know you are asking yourself:  What do a red parrot and stress have in common?  Here’s the test.  Apply the 10 second rule to the parrot. But this time, stop the madness, and REALLY look at the red parrot for 10 seconds straight without worrying about what is happening around you. Hard to do?  You will be rewarded with the illusion of the red parrot. Well, go study the parrot and come back before reading any further?

…Did you see it?  Embedded within the red parrot is a dancer with outstretched leg (hint, the parrot’s feathers).  This dancer was body painted and embedded within the parrot to fool you.  Did it?

Now, examine what you did to actually focus on the dancer?  You really had to let go of your perception of a parrot and look at the bird “from a different perspective”!  Now, consider stress and that grueling statistic of 75% self-imposed stress that moms take on needlessly.  You need to ask yourself this question:  Is the stress real?  …or is it self-imposed?  If it’s real, “deal with it”, and solve the problem causing the stress, either with a step by step plan, or by isolating the stressor and examining the impact of the stress on you as a mom.  Usually, when you examine your stressors, your anxiety lessens.  It will turn out that 25% of your stress is real, and that 75%, as today.com concludes from their survey-- is self- imposed.

Now, imagine moms all over the U.S., who are empowered by examining their stressors.  That will lead to a calmer, more rational mom, who can really participate in raising their children by enjoying the bleeps and missteps of parenting along the way.

 

Tip:  You are not perfect. You are going to make mistakes.  Just make sure you enjoy the journey and fun of parenting.  Be in the moment.  Notice the dancer within each child, the uniqueness in seeing your child from a different perspective!