As a parent, it’s so important to take care of yourself so you can give your children your best, which helps them do their best.

Your attitude and well-being affect your children. If parents let their bad mood and negative circumstances take control, then most likely it will trickle down to everyone else. You can choose to create a positive atmosphere in your home by having a good attitude and spreading it to your family (even while dealing with problems).

The way you take care of yourself affects your mood. If you don’t get enough sleep you’ll feel cranky and irritated. If you are eating unhealthy food the majority of the time and not exercising, your body will feel sluggish. Then without realizing it, you start taking out your frustration onto your kids.

The way you take care of yourself is a model for your children of how to take care of themselves.

A parent’s well-being is very essential in relation to their children. Please be encouraged to make a commitment to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This way you can give your best self to your children. And sometimes in order to do this you have to make some sacrifices and changes to your lifestyle so you can remove a lot of the stress, keep your sanity, and live a happier life. Life is NOT easy, but you can take necessary steps to make it better.

Things to Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed or Defeated:

• Learn to love yourself because God loves you and created you with great potential! You can find true self-confidence when you understand and walk in Christ’s love.

• Every person in life makes mistakes. Learn from them, make any necessary changes, and then move forward with your life.

• Your thoughts and words matter- you have more control over them than you think. (A big part of what we think about has to do with what we watch, read, and listen to on a regular basis. They affect our mind without us realizing it. For example, you might find yourself feeling sad and hopeless regularly if you are binge watching depressing and violent shows constantly. Being more mindful and intentional to take in mostly positive content will help you to have more positive thoughts and words.)

• Say no when needed and don’t overpack your family’s schedule.

• Have a system to keep your home organized. This will help to keep you and your family’s mind calm.

• Everything takes time and work to be successful (e.g,: your health, your marriage, your children, your home, your friendships, your career… everything). Keep going and doing your best!

• Accept the fact that you won’t be able to please everyone all the time. Opposition is a part of life and everyone will not always like you or agree with you. You can still be happy and enjoy your life.

• Negative things from your past and bad things from your family history do not have to define you. You can change things for the better for you and your family.

• Your prayers and faith in Jesus are powerful and really do change things. In order to unlock this power, it requires salvation, which is when you decide to believe that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins. It’s a simple free gift that just requires you to truly believe and say with your mouth that you believe in Jesus Christ and that you are sorry for your sins (which are the wrong things that you do); and that you want Him to come into your heart. Then you must change your lifestyle to align with what God says. This can be a hard concept to wrap your mind around, but it is truly life changing in a positive way. And doing it really allows you to enjoy life and overcome the challenges that you will face in life.

Fun Music to Encourage You:

Check out these songs with great beats and lyrics to motivate and uplift you! Play them while doing chores, driving, and hosting events. Create a new playlist for yourself on your phone. Then find similar artists and songs so you can continue to find positive songs that you can enjoy.

• Better than Sunshine- by Crowder

• I Know I Need You- by Ryan Ellis

• It’s Gonna Get Better- by Stars Go Dim

• Close- by Roy Tosh ft. Evan & Eris

• High Up- by Jonathan Traylor

• Deeper- by TobyMac ft. Tauren Wells

• Be Yourself- by Wande

• Drive- by Sarah Reeves

• Easy- by Tree Giants

• Psalms 139- by Caleb Gordon

• Tears to Diamonds- by Apollo LTD

• Steady Me- by Hollyn ft. Aaron Cole

• God Had Other Plans- by Zauntee

Quotes to Inspire You:

Quotes are powerful and provide quick references when you need some encouragement. You can write them down in a journal. You can write them on a post-it note or index card and post them in your office and bedroom to serve as daily reminders. Writing things down helps the information to stick in your brain. Give it a try!

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”~ Eleanor Roosevelt

“A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.”~ Joyce Meyer

“Without courage we will simply accumulate a collection of good ideas and regrets.” ~ Andy Stanley

“The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” ~ George Washington Carver

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing- that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~Zig Ziglar

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” ~Anonymous

Book Recommendations to Motivate You:

Here are some books to enjoy that will inspire and help you.

1.)Visioneering by Andy Stanley

2.)Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children by Mark Batterson

3.)Do It Afraid by Joyce Meyer

4.) Essentialism by Greg McKeown

5.) Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen

6.) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

7.) Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson

Bible Verses to Guide you:

Here are some great verses to refer back to often for wisdom. Read them as many times as needed to motivate yourself, especially during challenging times.

Psalm 46: 1 (NIV)- God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)- Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

James 2: 22 (NIV)- You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)- A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Psalm 30: 2 (NIV)- Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.

Proverbs 19:11 (NIV) A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Have an AMAZING DAY! Do the best you can to take care of yourself each day! Your kids need you!