On and On: Erica on Dealing with Stress

I’ve taught for many years in classrooms with very challenging students… Kids whose parents are drug addicts, kids who have come to school after having shootings going on down stairs from them, kids who are in gangs…  These kids were tough, very tough, and yet I was able to do something to help them cope with the stress.  

Nothing has prepared me for the challenges of parenting two children.  It can be the most joyful thing to watch them laugh together at some silly joke, and it can be the most challenging thing to try to make dinner while they are screaming at each other over nothing.  

My little secret for dealing with the stressful moments is to go outside… to put on puddle boots or winter boots and just get outside.  There have been moments when I’ve just forced clothes on screaming children and virtually pushed them out the back door.  Once we’re outside we can deal.   I could go on and on about how hard this parenting thing is… but, I’ve got to work.