Being a mother can be a very demanding task, but with a positive attitude and some practical habits, we can learn to enjoy the daily challenges of maternity.Learn to ask for help

First of all, happy mothers arent afraid of asking for help. They understand that although they can do a lot, we all have our limitations, and its important to have people we can fall back on when we need help.

Theres no point in trying to do it all on our own and ending up in a bad mood or overwhelmed, afflicted by feelings of guilt, because were too proud to ask for the help we need.

Being a parent is a full-time job, often alongside a professional career, and we shouldnt wait for an emergency to book a babysitter or to ask a family member to help out for a while when wed ordinarily be at home with the kids. Its healthy for both mothers and for the children to have a little time apart sometimes: moms need to give themselves permission to get together with friends, take a long hot bath, or enjoy a romantic dinner or a fun movie with their husband.

Between work and raising kids, it can be hard for parents to make time for exercise, but the golden rule should be to get outdoors at least once a day. Fresh air, natural sunlight, and contact with nature are all factors that can improve our mood and recharge our energy. Mothers can enjoy these benefits while pushing a stroller, for example.

Exercising and stretching can help us keep (or get) our body into shape, as well as refreshing our mind and our mood so we can make it through the rest of the day. Its good for our children too, especially today when its easy for them to spend all their time either at school or indoors doing homework or interacting with a screen.

Children love it when we smile at them. The very act of making ourselves smile or laugh can help stimulate the production of brain chemicals that improve our mood. Wrinkles from smiles are nothing to be ashamed of; on the contrary, they reveal a happy soul.

Hugs are healthy, too! Happy mothers embrace their children every time they get the chance. This is a good idea, because as time goes on and our children grow up well have fewer and fewer opportunities to do it.

Routine can be tiring. Its important to inject a little fun into our daily tasks, which could otherwise be boring but which we cannot avoid. When we go to the supermarket, we can bring some fun toys from home to keep the kids content, and when we get home, we can invite our kids into the kitchen to share time with them while they help unload and put away the groceries.

We can also be creative, and play games with our children or involve them in some other activity related to things that are going on in the world or at home at that time, such as the Olympics, the saint of the day, or some other important event. With this perspective, we can make each day special and unique.

We all want to live up to our ideals about parenting and to do everything right all the time. Nevertheless, there are days when things get out of hand, we are too tired to do it all, we run out of patience, and we bribe our kids with candy or with an episode of their favorite TV program.

Happy mothers know that they need to accept the fact that some days are chaotic and very difficult. Accepting this fact and not letting it upset us too much, focusing on the positive instead, is essential. We need to recognize that bad situations wont last forever.

Theres no way to feel happy all the time, but these practical suggestions can help us deal with the stresses of parenting and avoid common causes of unnecessary headaches and stress.

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5 Habits of happy mothers - Aleteia EN