Stress-Free Discipline

10

Manage Situations That Increase Family Stress

At different times in our lives, circumstances conspire to put more stress on us and our families. During these times, our coping mechanisms, and consequently our parenting skills, may need a boost—or a break. It’s only natural: The human mind and body can take only so much stress before maximum capacity is reached, at which point we start to shut down or collapse.

Let’s return to the metaphor with which we opened the book—that of a garden, where you’ve tilled the soil, planted the seeds, added fertilizer, and watered regularly. But now, just when you think your garden is taking shape, bam! Along comes a big storm that damages or, in some cases, devastates it. When you come up for air, you look ...