Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Abandonment Issues and Neglect
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and loss Counseling
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Personal Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • PTSD
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sex And Porn Addiction
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Christian Counseling for Children
        and Teens
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Sex And Porn Addiction
  • LocationsChoose from our variety of office locations
    • Anacortes 1Anacortes
    • Bellevue
    • Bothell 8Bothell
    • Bellevue Christian Counseling 1Edmonds
    • Everett 8Everett
    • Federal Way
    • Kent 2Kent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    •  1Mill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor Office OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    •  1Puyallup
    • Redmond 3Redmond
    • Seattle Ballard 6Seattle Ballard
    •  1Seattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake 10Seattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • Tacoma 6Tacoma
    •  1Spokane
    • Spokane ValleySpokane Valley
    • Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind the best counselor for your needs
  • CareersBecome an affiliated Christian counselor
  • (425) 939-6856Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids

Bellevue Christian Counseling
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/tips-for-overwhelmed-moms-of-young-kids-4.jpg 1707 2560
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bellevue.jpg
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-cropped-seattle-logo.png
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
Photo of Madison Fergerstrom

Madison Fergerstrom

Jun
2022
08

Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids

Madison Fergerstrom

Individual CounselingWomen's Issues
Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young KidsWhen all your children are under five, the days can feel monotonous and leave you feeling overwhelmed. The kids have so many needs, so many things they can’t do yet, and despite their enthusiasm, they are not helpful in any real sense of the word. You want to throw in the towel, just do everything yourself, and find out that you are stressed, angry, exhausted, or all three.

You just want to go to the bathroom without someone banging on the door or make it through a meal without a meltdown about food they disliked. Teaching children how to be human is a worthy, but also challenging endeavor. Exhaustion and discouragement are common. Children don’t have full control of their bowels or their emotions. All this takes an emotional toll on the mother.

Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids

Emotional self-regulation is something that children must learn, and they will learn it from mom and dad. If you are stressed, the children notice that. Their responses could vary from more temper tantrums to full withdrawal. The first step to relief from being overwhelmed is to stop and consider what is making you stressed in the first place.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

Figure out the cause of stress

Make a list if that helps. Is it the house not being clean or the process of potty training? Maybe it is something about preparing meals. Possibly you are receiving too much noise input from screens or electronic toys. Has there been sickness or does the laundry cause you tears just thinking about it? Do you just want to have a conversation about something other than dinosaur names and alphabet songs?

Breaking down the whole situation into smaller parts can help you identify the main problems. Once you have identified the problems you can produce solutions.

Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids 1Part of the stress could be that you are having to make decisions for yourself and small children all day, every day. The sheer volume of decisions you make each day is overwhelming. As you identify the problems that give you stress, figure out which ones are decisions that you do not have to keep making.

Maybe you decide that every Thursday is Pajama Day, to cut down on the laundry or so you don’t have to go anywhere. Having one less thing to decide each day could eliminate a lot of stress. You can apply the principle of deciding once to many different areas.

Here are some tips for a few principal areas that cause stress: food, chores, screens, and personal care.

Tips for Mealtimes and Snacks

This is a common stress among families with young children. They are still learning to manage cutlery, not spill from cups, and have rather simple tastes when it comes to food. An oft-repeated question is, “What’s for breakfast/lunch/dinner?” If this is a challenge for you, meal planning will be a lifesaver. You could google ideas about meal planning from weekly to monthly, elaborate multi-course meals, or cute little snack packs.

Ask yourself:

  • what do they like to eat?
  • what do they need to eat?
  • how much work do I want to do?

You are deciding priorities and plans. Maybe your plan is simply to have cereal every morning, PBJ every lunch, and apples for the snack. You could say Friday is pizza, every week, and then you are relieved from planning that meal each week. Letting go of rigorous expectations from meals can be such a huge relief.

Tips for Housework and Chores

This area can be highly overwhelming for parents of young kids. Children make so many messes and are not able to clean much. First, take a deep breath and release your vision of how you think your house should look. You are in a particular stage of life and with it comes a certain messiness.

Second, start looking up information on what chores are reasonable for the age of the children you have. From teaching them to put toys in a toy box before bed to pulling clothes out of the dryer, there are ways to include them. Young children overlap playing and work.

Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids 2If the idea of working with your children is overwhelming, try another route. Set a timer for fifteen minutes to play with your child. Then tell them they need to play for fifteen minutes while you do the dishes or do some laundry. It will probably surprise you how much you can accomplish in fifteen minutes.

A bonus of this method is that by prioritizing your child they will feel that they have been given attention and be less likely to demand attention while you work. Over time they will realize that mom will also be able to help them again after fifteen minutes, which encourages them to solve their own problems.

Tips for Screens and Quiet Time

With so many options for screens, it can be easy to rely on them as a means of quieting children. It is a helpful tool, but like any tool should be used properly. If watching a thirty-minute show keeps the kids busy long enough for you to shower do so.

One thing that will delight your kids is watching a show with them. Maybe once a week you sit down and cuddle on the couch to watch their favorite movie. See what makes them laugh and laugh with them.

At other times, reading storybooks will be a far more calming activity than screen time. Figuring out some house rules for screens will help you not have to make too many decisions regarding screen time each day.

Some ideas:

  • no screens after 6 pm
  • your child may pick a movie after lunch
  • if you have multiple young kids, assign the day they will get to pick (child one on Monday and Friday, child two on Tuesday and Saturday, etc.) This eliminates a lot of arguing about whose turn it is.
  • Tips for Overwhelmed Moms of Young Kids 3pick shows that don’t drive you crazy
  • set time limits for your own screen time

Even children who no longer nap benefit from quiet times in the day. Start small, use a timer to set expectations for them to play quietly in their room at certain times. As they become accustomed to that, use the time for your own quiet activity, be it reading, napping, or scrolling social media. By setting the example of prioritizing your own rest, you instill that value into your children.

Have a plan for playing with your children. Hide and seek, puzzles, cars, or dolls, whenever you take a little time to play with your kids it sets you up for success. The work is not going anywhere, and you are likely to complete more of it if you have given your children some attention beyond caring for their basic needs. Again, setting timers is helpful for both you and the kids.

Tips for Personal Needs

When so much of your energy is spent keeping small children alive and well, your own well-being can feel rather neglected. If you are not doing a decent job with self-care, it can be easy to slip into a state of stress. Remember you cannot do it all and you do not have to do it all.

Placing too many expectations on yourself will lead to burnout and exhaustion. Once you have identified ways to handle the issues causing stress you may find that you have more space to care for your needs as well.

Plan to meet with a friend for some conversation. Let the kids watch a show while you shower. Learn what realistic chores for kids are. Implement a meal plan with your favorite dinner at least once a month. Pick up a hobby to do during the kids’ quiet times.

There is no getting around the fact that you are in a busy stage of life. Like all stages, it will pass. Finding ways to ease your stress can help you be present in the moment. This will lead to a calmer home with happy memories for all.

Photos:
“Tiny Fingers”, Courtesy of Aditya Romansa, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “On the Beach at Sunset”, Courtesy of Guille Pozzi, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Momma’s Hands”, Courtesy of Alex Pasarelu, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Mother and Toddler in the Field”, Courtesy of Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash.com, CC0 License

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top
Photo of Madison Fergerstrom
Schedule with Madison
  • Appointment Info

  • Your Info

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Madison Fergerstrom

Licensed Mental Health Counselor
(425) 728-8908 madisonf@bellevuechristiancounseling.com

My greatest passion is to assist clients in the counseling process. I will help you strengthen your sense of self and develop better coping mechanisms for life’s challenges. As your Christian therapist, I will help you implement positive changes in your life that will promote lasting healing and growth in the Lord. You will be encouraged to identify emotions, challenge unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior, and explore new opportunities to grow and move forward. I have personally experienced the transformative nature of God’s power to deliver my clients from their pain and suffering and I know He can do the same for you! Read more articles by Madison »

Other articles that might interest you...

Tips for Stay-at-Home and Working Moms
Bellevue Christian Counseling

Tips for Stay-at-Home and Working Moms

Are you a stay-at-home or working mom? If so, then this video is for you! I will share tips with...

continue reading »
Men's Issues: Psychological Effects of Abandonment by Mothers
Photo of Barney Armstrong

Barney Armstrong

Men’s Issues: Psychological ...

Part I of a 2-Part Men’s Issues – Abandonment by Mothers Series Common but Treatable For a boy, abandonment by his mother...

continue reading »
Common Abandonment Issues for Men -- A Mother's Impact
Bellevue Christian Counseling

Common Abandonment Issues for Men ...

Part 2 — How Abandonment Issues Impact Men’s Lives Parents or parental figures have the greatest influence on the emotional...

continue reading »

About Madison

Photo of Madison Fergerstrom

Madison Fergerstrom, MA, LMHC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

My greatest passion is to assist clients in the counseling process. I will help you strengthen your sense of self and develop better coping mechanisms for life’s challenges. As your Christian therapist, I will help you implement positive changes in your life that will promote lasting healing and growth in the Lord. You will be encouraged to identify emotions, challenge unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior, and explore new opportunities to grow and move forward. I have personally experienced the transformative nature of God’s power to deliver my clients from their pain and suffering and I know He can do the same for you! View Madison's Profile

Recent articles by Madison

  • Feb 20 · 3 Myths About the Grieving Process
  • Nov 30 · Dangerous Ground: The Pitfalls of Social Media and Body Image
  • Sep 7 · Tips for those Struggling with Codependency
See all articles by Madison »

Related Services

  • Individual Counseling
  • Women's Issues

Madison's Office Locations

  • Photo of the Bellevue office

    Bellevue

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (425) 939-6856
    330 112th Ave NE,, Suite 302 Bellevue, WA 98004

    View Office Details
  • Photo of the Kent office

    Kent

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (253) 656-5454
    24909 104th Ave SE,, Suite 101-A Kent, WA 98030

    View Office Details

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo
Bellevue Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors experienced in helping people of all ages find healing for a wide variety of issues.
© 2023 Bellevue Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
330 112th Ave NE,, Bellevue, WA 98004. Tel (425) 939-6856.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!