Parents, do you feel that your life is out of control?  That your calendar is on overload and your stress level is rising?  Omid Safi, a journalist, has recently coined this the “disease of being busy”.  Stress levels are rising across the country, not only in adults but also in children and teens.  We know that stress has a negative affect on our bodies.  But did you know that stress has an affect on your own parenting ability? A study was conducted recently about parents’ stress levels.  The researchers looked specifically at the effect of parental stress on children.  The kids reported being stressed by merely observing their own parent’s stress!  In my office, both children and teens have shared their concerns with me about the amount of stress that their parents are under.  They often say, “I just wish my parents would be happy”. I’m sure we’ve all noticed how stress affects our ability to perform.  Perhaps you remember a time when you were so anxious and stressed before you had to perform, whether it be a presentation at work or a public speaking engagement.    Did your high level of stress enhance or hinder your performance?  How about the last time your teen was freaking out because you wouldn’t let them go to a party and they wouldn’t let it go.  As they slammed doors, rolled their eyes and continued to argue with you...how was your stress level and did it affect how you parented your child?    I remember those stressful parenting moments and I also remember my own parenting ability diminished the more stressed I became. I’ve invited my guest Dr. Ben Bernstein (http://www.drbperformancecoach.com/) to join my conversation.  Ben is a clinical psychologist and performance coach, who specializes in working with people in high stress/high performance occupations such as athletes, surgeons, business executives and actors. Ben trains people to improve their performance by reducing their stress.  He works with many students across the country who want to improve their test performance (http://www.testsuccesscoach.com/), as well as working with their parents.  He is affectionately known as “Dr. B, the Stress Doctor”.   His original training model is the basis of his books:  “Test Success! How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused on Any Test” and his most recently released book, co-authored with Michelle Packard, “Stressed Out! For Teens” and “Stressed Out! For Parents”:  How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused (http://www.familius.com/stressed-out-for-parents)”. Would you like to improve your performance, as a parent? Hope you’ll join us!