The baby books I poured over while pregnant all listed similar reasons why a baby might cry: hunger, fatigue, gas. But another big one is overstimulation. A new baby?s brain can easily overload when confronted with too much sensory information at once, including noises, new faces, or flashing lights. Even activities that seem enjoyable, like excited older siblings playing with a fancy new electronic toy, can reduce your little one to tears when it all becomes too much.
Now imagine a similar scene, except this time it?s you, the parent, who is overstimulated. Maybe you?re not quite in tears, but you?re certainly feeling a crescendo of tension, edginess, and unease that becomes extremely uncomfortable, if not unbearable. It?s all you can do not to shoo the children into separate rooms, chuck that toy (clearly designed by a sadist) out the window, and hide under a blanket. Only you don?t, because you?re a parent. Family life is full of awesomeness, but it also has its share of challenges: meltdowns, the headache-inducing din of a busy household, and the stress of shuttling everyone around (on time) to all.the.things. It?s normal for parents to feel overwhelmed, sensitive, and even a little fragile from time to time. But what if you feel like this most of the time"
Do you internalize every bit of raw emotion your threenager projects in a tantrum, until your head spins from the chaos and commotion to the point you can?t think straight" Maybe you are the one crumbling i...