Connected Moms Make Calmer Kids

Confused, helpless, frustrated. Those are feelings that moms often describe to me as they try to get their anxious children to function day after day.

This can make parenting an anxious child lonely and daunting. But fellow momma, if these feelings sound familiar, I believe you may need a mindset shift. This shift could change your outlook and encourage you in your efforts to support your stressed kiddos. Better yet, it will help the kiddos! The mindset shift starts by understanding that God created us as mothers with unique abilities that can completely change how our children experience anxiety. Even when we are not able to eliminate the source of our children's worries or when they cannot stop their anxious thoughts, we do have the ability to help them function better.

The unique ability is rooted in the very way we were created in the image of God for connection, and I think explained by a field of science called Interpersonal Neural Biology. Put very simply, when children are using their whole brains effectively, they function better and can be more resilient against anxiety (and a lot of other mental health struggles for that matter). And their ability to use their whole brains effectively is really associated with how we as their moms (or primary caregivers) are able to use our whole brains effectively when we relate to them. How cool is that? The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson is a bestseller that goes into detail about this. But research is pointing to the fact that connection can give children a great shot at navigating anxiety more effectively. 

So fellow mommas who are overwhelmed by your kids' worries, I hope this perks your interest. I want to invite you to think about how motherhood is a call to be like the Lord Jesus to our children. Meditate about how Jesus loved and connected with others while He was here on earth and ultimately gave His life for us on the cross.

If you would like to know more about connecting with your anxious child or want to book a phone call with me to learn about my coaching courses, email me at layla@equippedcoaching.com.