It\u2019s been a long day.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve been up since 5am. You spilled coffee on your favorite blouse, your 9am meeting went until noon, you\u2019ve got a splitting headache, and you have no<\/em> idea what\u2019s for dinner. The kids are screaming, and you lose it.<\/p>\n Take a deep breath. There\u2019s a way to deal with your frustrating day that doesn\u2019t involve yelling, shouting, or a huge glass of wine.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For over a decade, Dr. Stephanie O\u2019Leary has been providing parents with a no-nonsense approach to navigating the daily grind while preparing kids for the challenges they\u2019ll face in the real world. In her new book, Parenting in the Real World<\/a>, Dr. O\u2019Leary offers spot on parenting advice with a side of humor.<\/p>\n The clinical psychologist and mom of two shares her tips for listening, respect, setting boundaries, having fun and self-care for parents.<\/p>\n Before you lose it, check out Dr. O\u2019Leary\u2019s 7 steps to master any parenting situation.<\/p>\nMaster ANY Parenting Situation Like A Boss-check out these 7 tips! #momlife <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n 1. Listen.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pause and listen to your child before springing into action or firing back a response. This means zipping your lip, biting your tongue, and accepting that a little parental silence can go a long way.<\/p>\n 2. Let your child know you<\/span> \u201cget it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> 3. Be respectful.<\/strong><\/span> 4. Set limits and boundaries.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Choose limits that you\u2019re willing to keep based on the situation at hand, not what happened yesterday or last year. This teaches your child that limits and boundaries are flexible, necessary, and that he or she can handle them.<\/p>\n 5. Take responsibility.<\/strong><\/span> 6. Have fun!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When things get busy, it\u2019s all too easy to get caught up in the routine and overlook the fact that your kids are fun. Don\u2019t be afraid to stop the daily grind to laugh or get silly. Take time to notice the little things your child does or says that bring you joy.<\/p>\n 7. Practice self-care.<\/strong><\/span> Which step do you think will make the most difference in your parenting?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s been a long day. You\u2019ve been up since 5am. You spilled coffee on your favorite blouse, your 9am meeting went until noon, you\u2019ve got a splitting headache, and you have no idea what\u2019s for dinner. The kids are screaming, and you lose it. Take a deep breath. There\u2019s a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Parent-Like-A-Boss.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3749"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3749"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4585,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3749\/revisions\/4585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymommyvents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nValidate your child by repeating back a bit of what he or she said, even if you disagree or know they\u2019re completely off base! This will open your child\u2019s ears so your great suggestions are actually heard.<\/p>\n
\nTalk to your child the same way you would to a friend or to someone else\u2019s child. Use this rule of thumb: If, in the future, it wouldn\u2019t be okay for your child\u2019s significant other to say it, you shouldn\u2019t say it either.<\/p>\n
\nOwn your successes and apologize for your mistakes. Give yourself a do-over if you need it. Know that genuinely apologizing to your child is one of the most powerful things you can do, and the best way to teach your child to be accountable.<\/p>\n
\nTake great care of yourself so you can take great care of your kids. Know that even the best parenting plan or strategy won\u2019t work well if you\u2019re always exhausted or depleted. Make self-care a priority and do it unapologetically\u2014your kids are counting on you!<\/p>\n