(English translation available after the Chinese article)
在職爸媽白天上班，下班後要陪伴孩子，好像做兩份正職似的，面對的壓力不少。有時孩子無故撒野，不願吃飯，不願做功課，不願睡覺，更會觸及爸媽的情緒底線。爸媽很需要適時減壓，因為照顧孩子是一條長遠的路呢！
- 好好照顧自己
爸媽有健康的身體，才可以好好照料孩子，所以爸媽先要好好照顧自己。
健康飲食：選擇一些有營養的食物，多吃蔬菜水果，少吃反式脂肪。爸媽可能工作太忙，沒有時間在家煮食，要外出吃飯或買外賣食物，但記著要選擇一些較健康的食物。
適量運動：爸媽也許未能抽時間運動，但在辦公室久坐會影響脊椎健康，導致肥胖，甚至會引起心血管疾病。因此建議爸媽隔一小時起來走走，倒杯水也好，上洗手間也好，有助舒緩筋骨。當然最好是能在上班前或下班後抽些時間做運動吧！
充足睡眠：爸媽可能希望能好好利用孩子睡覺時間，做自己喜歡的事情，滑手機、看電視，但充足睡眠對爸媽的健康也很重要。盡量睡前減少螢幕時間，可以選擇一些舒緩身心的事情，閱讀、浸暖水浴、做舒展運動等，幫助入眠，也能讓你一夜好眠，第二天有精神應付工作。
- Me time 私人專屬時間
爸媽把大部分時間都奉獻給工作和家庭，私人專屬時間（Me time）就是爸媽自己一個做自己喜歡的事，自己外出吃飯、逛街購物、上健身室、遠足，甚麼事情也好，總之是自己喜歡做，自己想做的事，好好享受這些私人專屬時間。
不用感到內疚，不用怕別人說你自私，丟下家庭自己玩樂。我們每個人都應該享受私人專屬時間，充電一下，放鬆一下，這樣才更有精力去工作，去照顧家庭。
- 訂立界線
爸媽每天扮演不同角色：原生家庭的子女、丈夫／妻子的伴侶、孩子的父母、公司的員工等，每個角色肩負各種責任。若然別人叫你做甚麼都答應去做，你的責任 會愈來愈重，壓力也愈來愈大。
為自己訂立各種角色的界線，工作量太多可以把某些工作分配給別人。有些不是自己的工作範圍內的事務，或純粹同事請你幫忙，衡量過自己的時間，發現自己應付不來，就要嘗試拒絕。
- 請別人幫忙
在職爸媽，尤其是媽媽，很想做一個完美的媽媽，很容易把所有事情攬在自己身上。上班時做一個稱職的員工，下班後就努力去做家務，照顧孩子，指導孩子做功課，認為做好所有事情，才是一個好媽媽。結果把自己逼得太緊，充滿壓力。
在職爸媽需要學習放手，請別人幫忙。假如經濟負擔得起的，聘請別人幫忙做家務。需要Me time時，請家人親戚幫忙照顧孩子。當生活沒那麼忙碌，壓力自然減低，情緒也容易控制。
- 建立互助小組
在職爸媽有時會感到孤單，當自己有心事，當孩子鬧情緒，當家庭遇到困難的時候，有相似背景的同路人一起聊天，一起玩樂，一起傾訴心事，互相支持，互相鼓勵，互相給予有建設性的意見。當爸媽感到壓力時，也可得到支持的力量。
這些同路人可以是你身邊的同事、朋友，孩子同學的家長，也可以是網上群組認識的網友，甚至是在各種親子活動或義工活動認識的新朋友。假若你覺得自己的生活圈子較狹窄，不妨多參與孩子的學校活動，或是社福機構的親子活動，認識其他家長，互相分享和支持。
請記著，
快樂的爸媽，才有快樂的孩子。
適時減壓，
也是愛孩子的表現啊！
資料來源：
6 Effective Ways to Cope With Mommy Stress
4 Wellness Tips for Working Parents
本文章所發表的全部內容均屬個人意見，並不代表Little Monkey之言論及立場。
關於作者
思嘉是一個在職媽媽，兒子約四歲，很明白在職爸媽面對的挑戰，希望能透過文字，跟各位爸媽分享有關為人父母的課題，互相支持和勉勵。
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[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Tips for Working Parents to Reduce Stress
During the day, parents go to work and after work have to take care of the kids so it’s almost like having two full-time jobs and the combined stress is tremendous. With children sometimes acting out for no reason, they don’t want to eat, they don’t want to do their homework or refuse to sleep, parents are pushed to their limits. Parents really need to relieve their stress as parenting is a long-term journey.
- Take good care of yourself
Only when parents are healthy, can they take care of their kids so parents should first take care of themselves.
Healthy Diet: Choose nutritious food like fruits and vegetables and less trans-fat in your diet. Parents may be busy at work and don’t have much time to cook at home so would eat out or buy takeaway meals but try to remember to choose healthier food choices.
Exercise Moderately: Parents may not have the time to exercise but sitting for a long time in the office affects the health of their spine and this leads to obesity and even cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is recommended for parents to get up and walk around once every hour to get a drink or go to the restroom to help relieve muscle and bone aches. Of course, it is best to exercise before or after work.
Adequate Sleep: Parents may wish to make use of the time when their kids are asleep to do things they enjoy, such as playing on their phone or watching television, however adequate sleep is very important to a parent’s health. Try to reduce screen time before bed and instead choose activities to soothe the body and mind such as reading, taking a warm bath, or even exercising can help with falling asleep and can provide a good night’s sleep so that the next day, you have energy for work.
- Me Time
Parents devote most of their time to work and family, while personal time (me time) is for parents to do activities that they enjoy such as eating out, shopping, taking a health class, hiking, etc. as long it is something you enjoy doing and want to do. The parents should really take advantage and enjoy this personal time.
No need to feel guilty or be afraid of others calling you selfish to drop your family to have fun. We should all enjoy some me time to recharge and relax in order to have more energy for work and to take care of family.
- Set Boundaries
Parents play different roles every day: As children of our own parents, husband or wife to our partner, parents to our children, employees of our company, etc. with different responsibilities in each role. If we agree to do what everyone asks us, our responsibilities will ever increase and so will our stress levels.
Setting the boundaries for ourselves in our various roles we hold, we can delegate the work if it is too much. If you find you are assigned work outside of your scope or a colleague asks for your help in which your schedule cannot accommodate, then you would need to reject them.
- Ask for Help
Working parents, especially mothers, really want to be the perfect mother and would easily take on all the responsibilities. They want to be a competent employee at work and after work, work hard on household chores. They want to take care of the child through helping them with their homework thinking that only by doing everything themselves then they are considered a good mother. As a result, they give themselves too much pressure and fill themselves with stress.
Working parents need to practice letting go and asking for help. If they are financially able to, hire additional help for household chores. Those needing “me time” can also ask family to help take care of the kids. When life is less hectic, the stress will naturally lower and we are able to better control our emotions.
- Create a Support Network Group
Working parents sometimes feel lonely. When you encounter issues, when your children are emotional, and when the family encounter difficulties, it helps to have those with similar background to talk to. This group are those that parents can have fun with, to discuss concerns together, support each other, encourage each other and to give constructive opinions to each other. When parents feel stress, they will also have the power of support from this group.
Those with similar background as you could be your colleagues, your friend, or your kid’s classmates’ parents. They could even be friends from internet groups to new friends you’ve met from different parents and kids’ events or volunteering work. If you feel that your network is too small, you can also participate in school events or some non-governmental organization (NGO) kids’ events to meet other parents and be able to mutually share and support each other.
Please remember, happy parents are needed for happy kids so reducing your stress as a parent is also an expression of love for our kids.
Source：
6 Effective Ways to Cope With Mommy Stress
4 Wellness Tips for Working Parents
All the contents published in this article are personal opinions and do not represent the opinions and views of Little Monkey Hong Kong.
About the Author
Scarlett is a working mom with a 4-year-old son, who knows the challenges encountered by working parents. She would like to share some thoughts on parenthood that may serve as support and encouragement for moms and dads.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Scarlesson
Website：https://www.scarlesson.com/
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