Motherhood

Three days ago, my last living grandparent died. My yiayia, my maternal grandmother, my second mother, a gigantic character who loved and cared for me since the day I drew my first breath. I am devastated, confused and scared. But writing has always been a form of catharsis for me, a way to express my emotions and let it all out, so I am sitting at my laptop, listening to the rain outside, wiping my tears, trying to make sense of the fact that along with the loss of my yiayia comes the loss of an entire generation of my family.

Though divorce rates have begun to decline in recent years, the number still remains high. With all the stresses and demands of day-to-day life, it can be easy to neglect your relationship with your partner. Parents especially find that their relationship with their spouse changes dramatically after having children, in both good ways and bad. 

When you try to make a difference in your child’s life, you may find yourself getting frustrated. Everybody can feel the pressure, especially right now. But many parents feel that the one way to express their frustration at a situation with their children is to raise their voice. As a parent, if you do this as a way to get your point across, this can result in long-term negative effects, like anxiety or low self-esteem. Conversely, being a calm parent will make a child feel loved even if they don’t behave well. But what can we do, as parents, to make sure that we are calmer, even if our children make us feel anything but?