Been wondering why parenting drains your energy?
Well, it seems you are not alone. Researchers at the Parenting Research Centre in Melbourne undertook an Australian community survey into parental fatigue and parenting practices during early childhood. A sample of 1276 Australian parents, of at least one child aged 0-5 years, completed the survey.
Key findings from the survey
- Fatigue is one of the most common health problems reported by parents of infants and young children.
- The study found that higher parental fatigue was associated with things like low parenting self-confidence as well as inadequate social support, poorer diet, poorer sleep quality and ineffective coping styles including self-blame and behavioural disengagement.
- Supporting parents to manage fatigue has the potential to increase parenting skills and confidence.
What does this mean as a parent?
Fatigue makes it that much harder to be a good parent.
Don’t ignore fatigue. Take steps to manage tiredness and stress.
Things you can do to help with fatigue:
- Remind yourself you don’t have to be a perfect parent
- Exercise, eat healthily and get plenty of rest
- Enlist a support team to take the pressure off you
- Create calm within the family – find quiet retreats in the day, share responsibilities
- It’s okay to say “no” when too much is asked of you
