How to Manage Stress and Anxiety With Six Kids

When we as parents start to become anxious about things, when our stress levels go up, our immediate response is that we take control. When I step in with command and control to my child, I'm sending a very clear message to them about my beliefs about their competence. And if this is the way we respond to anxiety and stress all the time, we start to become controlling rather than collaborative. We take away their autonomy and over time that will cause a deterioration of the relationship. In other words, the three basic psychological needs that our kids have are being undermined by our inability to sit well with stress, anxiety, worry and challenge.