My no nonsense tip for parenting? Chill out, Mama. Read more in this post sponsored by Niagara Water and Millennial Blogs.

Way back in the olden days, 8 years ago when I was a new mama, I was so uptight. There wasn’t a parenting issue that could come up that I wouldn’t spend hours dissecting and scrutinizing to make sure I did the right thing, made the correct decision, didn’t overreact, or react too nonchalantly about. I was a mess! Parenting was so stressful and I chalked it up to being part of the game. Boy, was I ever wrong!

As time passed, I realized my sweet little girl was a lot more resilient than I gave her credit for being. I discovered that there would be lessons that she would have to learn on her own, and no amount of preparation on my part would stop her from skinning her knee, having little disagreements with friends, or ensure that I would never have to remind her to clean her room, ever. Those realizations gave me the room to relax and chill a bit, and I started being able to actually enjoy this mom thing a lot more.

When it comes to parenting now, I have a simple, no nonsense approach. My days of having to yell or repeat myself over and over again (come on, Mamas…you know that’s what we do), have dwindled, and I rarely have to raise my voice. So, what changed? Well, I changed my mindset. It’s really that simple.

I was so exhausted with my mom duties that I finally decided that I wasn’t going to stress out over minor things. There wasn’t going to be any more yelling at my daughter about keeping her room clean, or getting mad because she didn’t hop on her homework as soon as she got home from school. All that did was make the both of us anxious. I had to remember that she is a child, not an adult, and that kids do things differently than we do.

For instance, since her room was always a mess, I helped her out by getting rid of some stuff and showing her where to put things. Her homework wasn’t getting done on time? We sat down together to create a schedule that gave her the down time she needed to recharge after being in school all day and still get her homework done before bedtime. I showed her how to be responsible and now I get to yell a lot less. I call that winning!

Parenting isn’t the only area where I’ve adopted a no nonsense approach. From healthy living to being a working parent, I have plenty more tips to share with you. In fact, I’ve been given the “Mrs. No Nonsense” award from Niagara Water because of how I give it to you straight!