SAN ANTONIO — All parents know that raising kids can be a stressful job. As much as we love them, sometimes our children can push our buttons, whether they intend to or not.
But, the author of a new book has some parenting tips on how to avoid common triggers and how to keep your cool under pressure.
"It's those moments when you are with your child or children where you immediately go from zero and calm to 100 in terms of wanting to react to a situation," Kim Muench, author of "Becoming Me While Raising You", said.
Muench says parents should know that it is common to lose your cool. We all do it. But, it helps to know the following six things that tend to set parents off.
"Whining is the number one parenting trigger and that is closely followed by kids not listening," Muench said. "Disrespectful behavior, hearing the words 'I hate you', physical pain, such as your kids biting or hitting you. The sixth most-triggering thing is siblings fighting."
So what do you do when you inevitably lose your cool? Muench recommends leaving the room, getting another parent to step in or even just a simple breaking exercise to calm yourself down. The most important thing is to set a good example by controlling your own emotions so your kids can learn that skill.
If you are interested in learning more tips to keep your cool while dealing with your kids, click here for more information on Muench's book.