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Paul & Britt
March 2005
"Miracles happen to those who believe"
We were contacted by our second MIRACLE baby’s Birth Mother from our Parent Profile. Simply AMAZING..... She said when she saw our profile "she knew we were "THE ONES". She and I "hit it off" from our first phone call. About two months later our daughter was born. We were there to attend the birth (which was AMAZING). We spent quality time with our daughter's Birth Parents and more ...
Relationships
Parenting can be as stressful and overwhelming as it can be fantastic and joyful. All parents know that this particular responsibility requires sacrifice. To be a great parent, you'll need to give up some things. It's just the way it works. You sacrifice things for the betterment of your children, in order to provide them with the love and support, and new opportunities. While there are many sacrifices that go hand-in-hand with parenting, one category is relationships.
Because being a parent takes your time and energy, your relationships can start to weaken. The time you used to devote to building and maintaining important relationships will now be spent feeding, bathing, dressing, and playing with your child. In addition to that, you'll spend time taking your child to school, team practices, friends' houses, and so on. This is just one role of a parent. It's all about finding the right balance in your life.
While some relationships suffer, if you haven't yet found that balance, these are the most common:
- Significant Other: This is one of the most common relationships that weaken during parenting. The time that you normally spent with your significant other is now going towards your children and your parenting responsibilities. You may find that your lack of time, patience, and energy at the end of the day will drive a wedge between you two.
- Friends and Family: Before you had children you probably had more time to hang out with your family members and friends. Your priorities have shifted. That is perfectly natural and normal. Sometimes these relations will become embittered because of your lack of time.
- Self: Many parents put themselves on the backburner as they care for their children's needs. Some parents feel that they aren't their old selves. They feel that they have lost that connection to their personality.
But don't fret too much. There are many things you can do to enliven your relationships and get things back on track while still being a great parent.
Talk It Out: One of the best things you can do is address the situation or problem. Discuss how you can solve this issue and move forward and how to rekindle your relationships with others and with yourself. Be open to your feelings and the feelings of the other person.
Get Organized: Sometimes just scheduling your day and week can make all the difference. Start by writing out all your appointments, meetings, and get-togethers. Write down everything you've planned. If you're in charge of your family's schedule, get a large wall calendar and place it a common room of your house. Have your family write down their schedules as well. This way, you'll be able to see what needs to be done and when. It also will help you see how much free time you actually have to refresh your important relationships.
Schedule Personal Time: As important as it is to rekindle relationships with others, it is important to have some personal time for yourself. Consider it your time to refuel and recuperate. It doesn't have to be anything grandiose. Just do something you like to do: read, take a nap, go for a walk, work out, or watch a movie.
Weekend Get-Away: Revamping your romantic relationship is also vitally important. Take some time to get to know each other and fall in love again. Just have a great time and enjoy each other's company.
Parenting is full of joys and stress. Finding the right balance in your life is imperative to the success of your relationships. Find and enjoy that balance.
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