Last week I went to a talk hosted at Tiny Footprints  by Orla Breeze. The subject was Joyful Parenting. Since having S I’ve been pretty happy but there are many who go through PND (post natal depression) and often don’t even know it. I’ll be honest, the first few weeks are overwhelming and with hormones in overdrive it wasn’t unusual for me to burst into tears.  Orla’s talk was a great reminder of how we can be joyful parents and also an eye opener to what parenting is all about.

Most of the time when you announce your pregnancy, people tell you how amazing it is, bringing life into this world, the bond a mother shares with her child, etc. There aren’t many people who will sit you down and tell you how difficult it can be. It’s probably the world’s most rewarding job but also the toughest.  So what did Orla have to say?

1. Stop worrying – This is obviously easier said than done. But often when a worry crosses your mind, look at your child…is she/he happy? Playing? Smiling? Laughing? The stop worrying and sweating the small stuff! The measure of a child’s happiness is…a child’s happiness!
2. Count your blessings – This is so necessary to be happy and joyful. We spend so much time focusing on what is going wrong and what we don’t want rather than looking at all the beautiful and positive things surrounding us.
3. Watch yourself – When a baby is born, they are a blank canvas. What they do and who they become is a direct reflection of us. So if your child is doing something you don’t like, look inwards and see how you behave, act and react – make the change in you and you’ll see the change in them.
4. Control your anger – Many mothers like to think they have the tolerance level of a saint but there will come a time when your beautiful child decides to test your patience. It’s important to walk away, count to 10 and then handle the situation in a calm manner. As you practice this you’ll also be showing your child a more mature way of dealing with anger.

These are some of the things she went through. For more information on Orla and the courses she offers, visit http://www.orlabreeze.com