Managing Parenting Stress: Practical Tips from Cassidy Freitas

Your toddler demands apple juice. Your older child seeks more screen time. Your boss is calling for urgent work. Suddenly, you’re overwhelmed and ready to snap.

If you frequently lose your temper with your family, licensed marriage and family therapist Cassidy Freitas offers a solution. She highlights the importance of ‘the margins’—those small, in-between spaces throughout your day. Freitas, a mother of three and author of Mom Needs A Moment, suggests that these brief pauses allow parents to regulate their emotions and better meet their family’s needs.

With parents today shouldering more childcare and work duties, finding emotional balance is challenging. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2024 advisory notes this increase. Freitas provides advice for managing big emotions in common parenting scenarios.

Calming Morning Chaos

Imagine a hectic morning. Your child is late for school, your baby needs a diaper change, and your keys are missing. What can you do?

Freitas advises placing your hand on your chest as a reset cue. This physical reminder helps you pause and breathe deeply. Slow, intentional breathing can calm your nervous system. Reflect on the moment—what is the underlying cause of your stress? Addressing root issues can inform better future choices.

Social vs. Family Commitments

Consider the conflict of choosing between a work social event and your child’s bedtime. Freitas encourages using the same advice you’d give a friend. Reflect on guilt as a messenger of misalignment with your values. Instead, consider if maintaining friendships is something you want to model for your kids.

Handling Interruptions

You’re nearly done with tasks, but your kids demand attention. You snap, then feel guilty. Freitas advises acknowledging mistakes to your children. Explain your outburst and emphasize it wasn’t their fault. Owning mistakes and repairing the relationship models positive behavior for your children.

Freitas emphasizes that repair is a powerful tool in parenting. Children appreciate seeing their parents as human and learning from their mistakes.

Additional Resources

Explore more parenting and stress management advice with Life Kit. Learn about equitable household work distribution, coping with parental burnout, and transitioning back to work post-family leave.

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