5 Reasons to Relax

We're linking up to Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers again today for their List It {Tuesday}. 

This week I'm sharing Five Reasons to "Relax"

1. It lowers the blood pressure. Yup, that's right. Even "forcing" yourself to relax will lower your blood pressure by a couple of points. When you're blood pressure is lowered you're more likely to remain relaxed. Take up yoga or some other exercise, meditate, read a good book, or simply take deep breaths. All of us could pretty much stand to lower our blood pressure from time to time.
2. If you're relaxed, they're relaxed. If you don't allow yourself to freak out about things then the children won't freak out as much either. Instead of looking at what you haven't gotten done, start looking at what you did get done. Child freaking out because "math's too hard"? Deep breath, break out some cereal, and show them the problem with the cereal pieces. Make a game out of it. You'll be showing them that not only is math not "too hard" but that there's other ways of trying to figure the problem out.
3. You'll have more fun. Yes, you did just read that correctly. If you can get yourself to relax then you'll have more fun. Instead of stressing out about whatever the issue is you can "goof" around instead. Did your dinner burn? Shrug your shoulders, grab your child, do a silly march and song about burning the dinner because you got distracted, and make banana splits for dinner. Ut oh! Your telling me you've never had a banana split dinner night? Try it! Not every night, not even every week (though that won't hurt anything in the long run), just every once in a while when you need, or your child needs, that break with the ordinary ... that reason not to throw in the towel ... make banana splits for dinner. You'll be amazed at how much fun you'll have.
4. You can't learn when you're stressed. Well, I suppose that you can learn when you're stressed out ... but in most cases the information will be kept only so long as it's needed and tossed out on the next garbage night. "Jenny! 2+2=4! Don't you get it?!?!?!" stressed out mommy bursts out in frustration. Dutiful Jenny pipes up with "Yes, Mommy, 2+2=4" and then when she's trying to figure it out again when you ask her to get out four forks for dinner she simply counts out four forks because the information didn't stick. Grab some dolls, dishes, and cookies and teach that there are four dollies that each want a cookie ... 2 cookies are chocolate and 2 are vanilla ... is that enough cookies (without simply counting 1, 2, 3, 4) 2 on one plate and 2 on another. This will keep the stress out of the situation and you can bet little Jenny will remember that 2+2=4.
5. They're only little once. OK, deep down we all know this. "My how little Jenny has grown, wasn't she just a toddler when I last saw her? Now she is sooo big!" The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and little Jenny would rather be making mud pies than learning the rules for phonics. You know that she needs to know this eventually but she just can't stop herself from looking out that window. RELAX mamma she's only little ONCE. Pack up those books for the day and go outside. Or take a book with you and read it to her while you sit next to her as she discovers just how much water that dirt needs to make mud pies. Take pictures. They're only little once.

I remind myself of these things all day long every day. Some days it is harder than others. Today Peanut needed to learn "one less" ... she didn't like using the pictures the concept was too abstract. Out came my button bag and we started with 5 on one side of her and 4 on the other ... I kept removing a button from each side until one less was equal to zero. She then did the workbook page with no problem and was so proud of herself when she "got it". And this was done while I was reading spelling questions to Younger Cracker Jack at the same time. 

Take a deep breath Mamma ... and relax.