Raising children is tough. The first couple months are brutal, but you spend so much of in a haze that there isn’t much time to worry. The first year is a lot of fun… but then they turn two and something changes. Their new independence means they get into a lot of trouble.

We all have days when we just want to quit. Motherhood? Here’s my two-weeks’ notice. For some, the fact that parenting is a long-term commitment makes the tough days even harder. But the challenges and struggles do fade over time.

Eventually our kids turn into real people who can do things for themselves. In the meantime, here are some ways you can get through the tough days.

1. Ask for help

It’s a simple solution but often overlooked. We don’t want other people to think we are a failure, so we bear the burden ourselves. There’s no need for any of that. Reach out to people you know, no matter how silly you feel. You’ll be surprised how many people will help without missing a beat – especially if they are parents themselves and understand.

2. Prioritize rest

It’s easy to let our health slide in the pursuit of a perfect home, but a rested parent is a good parent. Make sure you’re getting a healthy amount of rest each day with a few days off sprinkled here and there. The laundry can wait. The art projects and museum trips, while fun, shouldn’t leave you drained.

3. Spend some time away

You are a mom or a dad, but you are also a lot of other things. Don’t let your life be consumed by parenthood or you won’t know how to behave when your kids inevitably leave the nest. Spend time with adults. Have some wine and talk about something other than SpongeBob.

4. Remember your passions

As much as you enjoy macaroni art and tea parties, those surely aren’t your passions. There’s probably something in your life you just don’t have the time for anymore. Reading? Quilting? Gardening? Carve out little pieces of time where you can enjoy these pursuits to keep your sanity and remember who you are.

5. Focus on the positives

It’s easy to find negative things in our life. We’re always stuck in traffic. Our kids make the worst messes. We haven’t had eight hours of sleep in three years. While all those may be true, what’s the point of harping on them every day? Worrying about something is like feeling yesterday’s stress again. Who needs that? Whenever a negative thought pops up, follow it with something positive.

Written by Alicia Overby - Founder & President of Baby Elephant Ears

Alicia is wife, mother, and creator of Baby Elephant Ears. Baby Elephant Ears was created out of parental concern, not financial desire. In 2005, when their second child was an infant, he cried all the time and just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

After seeking advice and suggestion from the medical community and alternative medicine, they eventually ended up in the chiropractors office where their baby was successfully treated for asubluxation, discomfort most likely the result of the strain during labor, which was now being exacerbated by the normal lack of infant neck strength. Only proper neck, head, and back alignment would offer him relief. When they couldn't find a product to give their baby the necessary support, Alicia took matters into her own hands and crafted her own infant support pillow. The first Baby Elephant Ears was born!

For more information, visit www.babyelephantears.com.

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