The Parent Empowerment Movement - Blog #parenting stressThe Parent Empowerment Movement - Blog #parenting stresshttps://www.theparentempowermentmovement.com/blogs/tag/parenting-stressThu, 12 Mar 2026 18:19:59 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Dreading Time Changes: Why Nervous System Regulation Beats Any Bedtime Strategy]]>https://www.theparentempowermentmovement.com/blogs/post/dreading-time-changes-nervous-system-regulationDreading the time change? Discover why bedtime strategies fail and how a 10-minute nervous system trick can save your morning. Free audio included!]]>
Teaching preschool for 15 years made me DREAD the "spring forward" time change that robbed us all of a precious hour of sleep in the middle of the night. I’ve seen the injustice of the system throwing everyone—kids, pets, and teachers—into a tired, ANGRY fog, throwing all of our systems out of whack for the week (and sometimes longer; it can be a rough transition).

It is so ironic that International Women’s Day falls on the one day we literally have an hour less than everyone else. (Cue the Alanis Morissette... 🎶)

Why Bedtime Strategies Fail Us

n the past, I’ve tried every logistical strategy to make the time change easier. I tried adjusting bedtime by ten minutes every night. I tried staying up later to make me tired enough to fall asleep earlier.

None of these strategies was ever a surefire bet. Honestly, it sometimes just felt like dumb luck when they would work or not. I'll never forget the time I realized I’d worked super diligently to adjust our bedtimes, only to screw them up two weeks later when we spent a week in a time zone three hours ahead of ours!

The Shift: Attitude Over Action

A soothing cup of tea and a lit candle next to a vintage alarm clock, representing a calm morning routine and nervous system regulation during the time change.
You can't control the clock, but you can control your calm. A regulated nervous system is your best defense against the time change.

What I’ve learned is that my attitude has a bigger impact than my actions. I’m not saying throw caution or intuition to the wind. I’m saying be as intentional about your state of being—how well you support yourself and your kids emotionally through the time change—with even more diligence than the specific actions you take.

Because when you support yourself emotionally, you’re better prepared for almost anything. Strategy backfired on you or had an unforeseeable negative impact? Ambushed by a surprise midnight bedwetting or a dog barking like mad because the neighbor’s cat decided to stroll through your yard that night? You’ll be okay because you’re practicing self-empathy and understanding this week.

The "Empowered Plate" in Action

Now that I have an EMPOWERED plate, I feel in control of my day, no matter what else is going on around me. This time change is POWERLESS to affect me; it's like water rolling off a duck’s back.

This morning, my family was SO tired from the time change—but we did great! Despite all that should have stressed me out, like dragging myself and my son out of bed a whole hour earlier after a night of all of us feeling wide awake for hours past normal bedtime, NONE OF THAT stood in my way this morning.

That’s because I was fueled up. My soul was fed. And I was fired up—not burnt out.

I didn’t yell. I didn’t lose my temper. I didn’t utter one unkind, grumpy word through my sleepy state. Usually, it’s those of us in charge, running the show, who are at the greatest risk of losing our cool before we’ve even gotten out the door (“For the 5th time, just put your shoes on or no dessert tonight!!”).

Sure, our kids might melt down at the sight of slightly overcrisped toast for breakfast. But when I’m fueled up, it’s like I can access this invisible supply of more time, energy, and support, and I can handle anything! When I’m starting the day feeling depleted… well, let’s just say it’s a lose-lose scenario for everybody.

The "Backdoor" Strategy for More Energy

I know it doesn't seem like 10 minutes of listening to a simple audio MP3 can save my whole day, but taking a few fast minutes to regulate my nervous system changes the game. It takes the unnecessary, unpleasant, and unhelpful things I don’t want OFF my plate so I can make room for what I DO want.

Stop trying to get more done with less energy. Start getting MORE with LESS EFFORT.

If you’re feeling behind from that one less hour yesterday, tired from how it threw off your routine, or wishing that you didn’t feel set up for failure by things out of your control—like a clock—listen to our simple energy clearing. It’s fast, it’s free, and it INSTANTLY gets you back to feeling calm, cool, and in control of your plate.

Download the Free "Get More Time, Energy, and Support" Audio Here
]]>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:23:35 -0700<![CDATA[3 Christmas Fails that Aren’t Failures: Beating Holiday Perfectionism]]>https://www.theparentempowermentmovement.com/blogs/post/christmas-fails-holiday-perfectionismFeeling like you failed Christmas? Discover why 3 common holiday 'fails' are actually wins for the 'good enough' parent. Ditch the perfectionism today.]]>
I dug this out of the archives, and it's exactly what I needed to read today - and I thought you might need it too! I wrote this to our newsletter list 3 years ago, and I think it's arguably MORE relevant now than it was then.
​Happy reading and Happy Holidays! - Jenny

Anyone else watch “Bad Mom’s Christmas?” Felicia and I love it - my favorite part is the opening narration that calls out how ridiculously hard dedicated parents work to make the holidays the best it can possibly be for our kids - and how impossible it is to live up to this standard!
 
It’s no secret that there’s a lot of pressure we put on ourselves, and that society puts on us. Here are 3 ways to take some of it off of this past Christmas and the ones to come:

1. Ghosts of Christmases Past can become Presents to Christmases Future

30 year old handmade ornaments my family made during my parents' brilliant "Hail Mary" move to save Christmas when they thought it had been ruined.

When I was 7 years old my family moved over Christmas time, and ALL of our Christmas decorations were stuck in storage! Buying all new things was out of the question, and my parents hated the idea of one of my childhood Christmases being anything but magical. Luckily we were an artsy craftsy family. So, together, we all made ornaments out of wrapping paper, sparkly pipe cleaners, and a big roll of holographic snowflake stickers that still lives on in my craft closet!
 
What started out as a disaster became a very special and memorable Christmas. Almost 30 years later, the ornaments that lasted are some of my most cherished ones on my tree.

(I actually just recorded a whole YouTube video about this specific idea—link).

2. Do a missed want-to-do activity anyway (even in January)

The art print I made of my son's Mistle-toe feet. My favorite Christmas decoration, even though I made it in January.

There are usually more quintessential Christmas activities we want (or feel pressured) to do than we have time for in December. Likely, you had to skip something you didn't actually want to skip because you ran out of time and energy. But guess what? Most of them you can still do!
 
It’s a simple thought, but most of us get so caught up trying to make Christmas feel perfect that we forget rational concepts like this. It felt like an epiphany to me when I had this thought the year my son was one. I really wanted to make a “mistle-toes” art print with his little feet, but was way too tired before Christmas to do it (normally I’m a scrooge about hand and foot print art, but this one hits right me in the holiday feels). But on Jan. 15th the light bulb came on, and I just did it!
 
The following Christmas, when I unwrapped that sentimental treasure, I was even more proud of myself for following through on doing something important to me than ever before! Now when I look at his little green footprints I feel both mama joy AND pride in breaking free from the limiting belief that things must be done on one set timeline.

(If you listened to last week's podcast episode about surviving the "ber" months without holiday burn out, you know this story well! It's the legend of the January Footprints - cause I STILL feel crazy proud of not letting an imaginary deadline keep me from having something I love!)

3. Choose what's going to be different for next year

Me sitting on a stool to journal while my son is busy having fun counting his bath toys at bath time. Sometimes our best moments for self-care are when we're living life side by side our kids.

Parents have to be more creative and flexible than others in figuring out how we make time for reflection. Still, it's an important "want to do" I try to make space for amongst my "have to do's."

If something from this holiday season gets you down, take time now to assess it so you can work towards changing it next year. Sometimes the solution is as simple as a little planning or mindfulness. Other times we have regrets or frustrations that touch deeper matters of the heart, and we have to look below the surface: Were your values compromised? Was there something you wish you had stood up for? Did you veer from your own vision to make other people happy?

It may be uncomfortable at first, but doing this now can genuinely empower you to get the kind of Christmas you really want next year. We talked a lot about this in one of our summer time podcast episodes, "Family Vacations (and how to survive them)" - if you this is something you're dealing with I really encourage you to listen to this specific episode.

Helping parents figure out how they can prioritize their values without loosing their sanity is why Felicia and I do this work - if you’re feeling stuck on how to get more of what’s important to you and your family into your life (regardless of the season) don't give up! We have a lot of resources that help. We also invite you to schedule a time to chat with one of us about joining our beautiful community.

(schedule a chat for group)

Get some more helpful tips:


This quick read:

- How to Beat Holiday Burnout with the "3 Things Rule" for Parents


Related podcast episodes (available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts):

- Season 2, Episode 13 - The "Ber" Months: How to Survive the Holiday Rush Without Burning Out

- Season 1, Episode 11 - Family Vacations (and how to survive them)


YouTube watch:

- Not a Mom Fail (Christmas Version)

]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:06:15 -0800<![CDATA[How to Beat Holiday Burnout with the "3 Things Rule" for Parents]]>https://www.theparentempowermentmovement.com/blogs/post/beat-holiday-burnout-3-things-ruleDreading the holiday hustle? Don't try to do it all. Use our simple "3 Things Rule" to beat holiday burnout, simplify traditions, and actually enjoy the season.]]>

Have you ever heard the phrase “May-cember?” I just heard it said for the first time this past spring. A friend explained it to me as a phrase to sum up how crazy life gets at the end-of-school-year, like at Christmas time but without the holiday cheer.

I totally get this reference - and not just as a past teacher who had to cram in assessments, conferences, student projects, and graduations all into a three week chunk! As Felicia just mentioned in our last podcast chat, those months ending in ‘“ber”  get filled to the brim with all of our obligations that just pile up on top of each other.


School starts in September, then we’re off to the pumpkin patch in October, and then all the eating and gathering holidays get here faster than we ever expect them. While there’s lots of fun to be had, there’s also lots of potential for holiday stress that can add up too. It’d be impossible to say “Yes!” to every single form of holiday fun and celebration - it’d be a recipe for parental burnout for adults, and our kids. Both as a parent and as a teacher, I’ve seen myself falling prey to illness easiest when I have been stressed, tired, and overworked. That’s the last thing any of us wants during the holiday season!

Luckily, we don’t actually have to stress ourselves out trying to do all of the things for every single holiday. We get to stop and gauge what we want and what’s realistic, for our family and our energy level, and find ways to simplify the holidays that still give us lots and lots of joy despite doing less during the holidays

One of the simplest ways: look to “The 3 Things Rule”

Felicia summed this up perfectly during our chat, and I want to replay her sound byte every morning during the month of December! She said that holiday magic doesn’t live in the things that are shiny and new every year. The magic comes from nostalgia, repetition, and settling into the familiar. Basically we feel the holiday magic when we let ourselves do whatever it is we enjoy most during this time of year. It happens when we indulge in the things that make it feel like that special time of year.

For example, if you are like Felicia’s family, and the three things that make December feel special to you are baking, seeing lights, and drinking hot cocoa, then finding time to do those three simple things can create that feeling. When we look at it that way, anything else that happens on top of becomes an awesome extra! But if nothing else happens, you can feel good knowing that you’ve done what matters.

    The 3 Things Rule:

    1. Pick 3 traditions that define the holiday feeling for you.
    2. Put them on the calendar.
    3. Everything else is just 'extra credit.'

When we limit our "must-do" list to just three meaningful “want to do” traditions, we aren't being lazy - we’re giving ourselves a better shot at feeling the holiday magic. It’s a way to ensure that there will be time and energy to actually enjoy the hot cocoa - not just cram it into an open time slot in your busy schedule for the sake of checking it off your holiday to-do list.

I want you to take a few minutes, grab a sticky note, and write down your three things. That’s your list - your beautiful, achievable, plenty-good-enough to be magical list. Give yourself permission to do less, and see if it doesn't actually feel like a whole lot more.

(Want to hear Felicia and I chat more about the specific ways we declutter our holiday obligations? Listen to the full podcast episode here.)
Get Started Now
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