When You Feel Bad

All parents have days when they feel
bad. Lots of things can go wrong. Your baby
may be sick. You may feel tired after school
or work. You may wish you weren’t tied
down to a baby. You may feel scared about
paying your bills.

Everybody feels bad sometimes. Learning to
cope with these feelings is part of living a
healthy life.

If you feel so bad that you might hurt your baby, stop what you’re doing.
Put your baby in a safe place. Leave the room for a few minutes. Take 10
deep breaths. Then take 10 more.

If you feel like hurting your baby, call Parents Anonymous at
1-800-554-2323. This group is made up of parents just like you. They will
listen. They can help you find ways to cope with your feelings. They can
help keep you from hurting your baby.

Sometimes moms and dads take out their feelings on each other. It often
starts with hurtful words. Over time it may grow into hurtful actions
like hitting. Hitting just makes things worse. Yelling and fighting scares
your baby.

Learn to talk things out. Say, “Let’s change the way we argue. Let’s talk
instead of hit.” Avoid blaming your partner when something goes wrong. If
you think you might yell or hit, leave the room for a few minutes. Come
back when you have settled down.

Some men take advantage of their bigger size and hit their partners.
The man may force the woman to keep it secret. Or he may threaten to
take away the baby. The woman may feel that she is to blame. And she
may feel too scared to tell anyone. If this is happening to you, call
1-800-799-SAFE (7233). This is the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
They will listen. They will help you make a safety plan. They will help
you figure out what to do.

If you’re afraid your partner will hurt you or the baby, call 9-1-1 right away.
No one deserves to be hurt. You need to feel safe in your own home.

Abuse hotlines

If you know about a child who is being abused, call the child abuse hotline.
Your name will be kept confidential. The incident will be investigated.

Child abuse hotline 1-800-422-4453

If you know a woman who is being abused by her partner, suggest that she
call the domestic violence hotline. She may remain anonymous, if she
wishes. She will learn how to get help.

Domestic violence hotline 1-800-799-SAFE

This content has been provided freely by CMC. Click Healthy Start, Grow Smart—Your-Ten-Month-Old for your free download. Click GreatDad Free Ebook to download the entire Health Start, Grow Smart series.

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