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Stress Case
6 Tips to Keep Your Tension Levels in Check
By I.J. Schecter
No matter how much intelligence, humor, talent or sociability your child displays, you'll probably worry, at some point, why the kid next door seems to display more. "While I believe my kids are just as smart, able and outgoing as others, my bigger worry is that I often don't have the time or energy to engage them in a way that will allow them to reach their full potential," says Nathan Treitel, father of a 3-year-old and 1-year-old from Toronto, Canada. "I often feel guilty that our 'quality' time is spent watching Berenstain Bears together."
It's a particular, but false, belief of modern parenting that kids need round-the-clock intellectual stimulation. Kids are sensitive to your mood and your energy. Snuggling up to your child on the couch as she watches Dora the Explorer, Barney or Sesame Street shows you're there and that you care to spend time with her. And that, in the end, is all that really matters.