THE GREAT BENEFITS OF SOBER PARENTHOOD
In sober parenting, alcohol is not necessary for coping, despite what social media would have us believe. It’s not necessary to unwind with a drink at the end of a long day, and dealing with the challenges of parenting doesn’t have to be ‘numbed’ by a hazardous, addictive substance.
The notion that alcohol is required to “survive” as a parent is a toxic myth that only benefits alcohol firms’ bottom lines. This concept does nothing to assist or support parents in any way. As a parent, I’ve discovered that my sobriety assists me in becoming the best parent I can be and that drinking would make this path more difficult.
Being a Sober Parent in a Wine-Mom Culture
So, while a joke about how a substance to ‘take the edge off’ exists around many a table and braai, let’s take a look at how being alcohol-free benefits parents from a different perspective.
1. Lack of a good sleep in doesn’t really matter, does it?
If you have ever had a little child or are a parent of a small child, you know that there is no such thing as sleeping in on Saturday morning. Most young children get up early in the morning and are immediately ready to go. If you have a hangover or are attempting to recuperate after a late night of drinking, early mornings might be difficult to deal with. Getting up early on a Saturday isn’t such a huge deal when you’ve slept well the night before because you didn’t drink.
2. Sober Parenting allows for more family-fuelled energy
Being under the influence of alcohol or recovering from a hangover drains the energy from a person. Children have a lot of energy and can be challenging to keep up with. One of the great things about being a sober parent is that you have more energy to spend with your children than you would if you were drinking. Alcohol often robs us of the energy and motivation that is required to be an attentive parent.
3. Money is saved
Even once or twice a week of drinking can soon add up; when a person consumes more than this, their budget can be severely impacted. When it comes to raising a family, the more areas where a sober parent can cut back on unneeded spending, the better. Groceries, bills, and extracurricular activities aren’t inexpensive, but if you don’t waste money on booze, you’ll have more money to meet these costs. Why spend money on alcohol when there are so many more productive things you might do with it?
4. Sober Parenting makes for more meaningful memories
One of the worst things that alcohol can do is remove a person’s memory. We can better develop lasting memories with our loved ones when we live a sober lifestyle. Unfortunately, the more one drinks, the less one remembers and the more one misses out on. While under the influence of alcohol, it is difficult to construct memories and far too simple to make harmful blunders.
5. No drink, no drunken mistakes
People who drink alcohol say and do things they would not normally say or do. These can be mostly non-harmful but they can also permanently have a direct effect on the trajectory of a person’s life. Unfortunately, we only have one chance to provide a happy upbringing for our children. When it comes to parenting, we all make errors, but cutting out alcohol cuts the number of unneeded ones dramatically.
6. Your health hits a new stride
Without Sober Parenting, alcohol consumption is harmful to one’s health. The longer a person drinks, the more likely they are to have negative health consequences. Long-term health concerns from alcohol can include (among other things):
- Higher than normal blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, and digestive issues are all linked to high blood pressure.
- Dementia and memory issues.
- A weakened immune system makes it more likely to become ill.
- ‘Common Cancers’ include throat, breast cancer, oesophageal, colon, liver cancer, and rectum.
- Anxiety and depression.
- Alcoholism
- Problems with friends, family, and work.
A parent instills in his child the ability to resist drugs and alcohol abuse- think of the apple not falling far from the tree…One of the best things a person can do for their physical and emotional well-being is to avoid drinking alcohol.
7. Sober Parenting shows our future generations how to deal with peer pressure
Like it or not, alcoholic beverage consumption is highly popular and common. This is true to the extent that the only drug you have to justify not using is alcohol. If you told someone you don’t use heroin, they wouldn’t question you, but if you tell them you don’t drink, they’ll probably ask you a lot of questions. We frequently strive to instill in our children the significance of resisting peer pressure; entire school events are dedicated to this topic. A parent can teach their child how to resist peer pressure by refusing to drink in a society that praises drinking
8. We keep our priorities in check
Alcohol can cause a person’s priorities to be skewed. Physical health, mental and emotional well-being, and relationships are frequently the first to suffer as priorities shift. We can better decide what is most essential to us when we can focus on our priorities with a clean and sober mind. We can better demonstrate to our children the significance of prioritizing self-care, family, and health by doing so.
9. We teach our children stress-control
While drinking alcohol may help reduce stress levels for a little while, it is not a healthy or sustainable way to deal with the problems of everyday life. People need to develop healthy coping mechanisms. Stress cannot and will not ever disappear completely; it is a part of our daily lives no matter how we wish it weren’t As a result, it is vital to figure out ways to deal with stress that do not cause more damage.
10. We are able to be present, at the most important times
Perhaps most crucially, being a sober parent allows us to be totally present in the presence of our children in a way that would be impossible if we were under the effect of alcohol. Our children will never see us drunk or hungover; they will never question if we will remember what happened the next day because sobriety allows us to be totally present in the present moment, and isn’t that what life is all about?
So, while those on social media platforms continue in their efforts to humourize alcohol use (and often, abuse) as a coping mechanism to deal with parenthood, take note; they are not the ones who have to live with the after effect, and you don’t have to either. There are many positives to a clean, sober parenting life!
(c) 2022 Houghton House Editorial Team