Parenting While in the Midst of
the Storm
Learning to Manage Stress while yet
Parenting Effectively
By: Jacques L. Austin LPC-S, NCC
The following pictures are used to illustrate the stress
encountered in our daily routines.
Although the characters pictured are fictional, the story is
real
Lisa is a working Mom with two kids. Her mornings
are very hectic. Each day she struggles to get the
kids off to school and herself ready for work.
However, lately she has been late for work and
feeling overwhelmed.
Her pleas to her husband for help with the kids have fallen on deaf
ears. The morning cyclone is left for her to manage alone.
Lisa races off to work each morning, barreling through traffic and
stressed yet again about the possibility of being late for work.
Lisa works in Customer Service and her time is closely monitored.
She encounters customers who are irate, angry, and just plane
rude. In spite of their hailstorm of insults, she is expected to
respond with courtesy and the sound of a smile in her voice.
However, Lisa’s customers are often easier to deal
with than her coworkers. You see, Lisa works with
a group of Chatty-Cathys, Gossiping-Gwens, and
Petty-Pamelas.
Her only moments of peace during the work day are
found in her car. Lately, she leaves work later in the
evening to make up for arriving late. It is after 7 p.m.
and she is anxious about going home. Because, just as
she feared……….
The kids have not done their chores or homework, and her
husband (who has been home since 4 p.m.) is still on the sofa
playing playstation. And, everyone is waiting on her to get home to
start dinner.
Lisa’s evenings are as much a whirlwind as her mornings. Between
cooking, laundry, homework, baths, and her third child (a lazy
husband)……
She has no time for herself. No time to de-stress or
decompress. Falling asleep is difficult. She is always
tense, her mind races, and she is anxious about waking
tomorrow………
And doing it ALL OVER AGAIN.
How does Lisa learn to cope with the stressors in
her life, and still parent effectively?
By understanding the connection between
THINKING, FEELING, and BEHAVING.
THINKING – FEELING – BEHAVING
Thinking (Thoughts) – Personal messages (self-talk) about an event or
situation. Usually developed through life experiences and
personal expectations (Core beliefs)
Feeling (Emotions) - Expressions of your thoughts. Emotions are intense
reactions to how you think, and often a guide into your
behavior.
Behaving (Actions) – What you do. Your actions (behavior) are usually a window into
your pattern of thinking or reaction to how you’re feeling.
WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?
EVENT
Some thing happens.
THOUGHT Self-talk about what has just happened (Either negative or positive)
FEELING
Emotions about what happened begin to develop based on your self-talk.
BEHAVIOR Your physical reaction to what happened.
CONSEQUENCE A result of your behavior. (Either negative or positive)
Positive Thinking Leads To Positive Behavior
Evolution of Decision-Making
Event
Consequence
Behavior
Thought
Feeling
S.E.L.F
AWARENESS
CONTROL
EXPRESSION
EVALUATION
PPSM Developed by J L Austin, LPC 2008
THE EVOLUTION OF
DECISION-MAKING
Learning to
TAP INTO YOUR GENIUS
BY
Jacques L. Austin LPC-S, NCC
Available on Amazon.com
Jlaustinlpc.com