I know I’m not alone in admitting that sometimes I am a grouchy mom. As much as a I adore my kids and want to make their childhoods as wonderful and magical as possible, there are definitely times when I just want to be left alone to sit on the couch in peace!
Yet, while it is okay to have an occasional grouchy moment, it’s not okay to be grouchy so often that it’s a way of life. If you’re one of the many, many moms who is grouchy way more often than they’d like, here are five ways to fight grouchiness as a mom that you need to do today!
1. Get Enough Sleep
You know how your toddler gets super grouchy when he misses his nap? Yeah, parents are the same way–though we don’t generally throw ourselves on the floor and have a tantrum. If you are trying to burn the candle at both ends and you’re not getting enough sleep, tonight’s the night to make sleep a priority. Even if you have a lot on your plate, you’ll get a lot more done and be a lot happier doing it if you can approach your day well rested.
Consider a white noise machine
2. Eat a Real Meal
How often do you go through a day only eating your child’s leftovers or forgetting to eat at all? If your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs, you aren’t going to have the energy you need to be a fun, happy and joyful mom. Buy meals and snacks you can grab quickly or prep things in advance. Either way, make sure you eat!
3. Take a Deep Breath
When your children are bouncing off of the walls and driving you crazy, sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply take a deep breath and count to ten. Don’t give in to your gut reaction to yell or fly off the handle. You know it doesn’t work. Take a deep breath and approach the situation calmly and rationally. Everyone will be glad you did.
Feeling stressed? Look into essential oils
4. Adjust Your Expectations
While I’m a firm believer that kids are capable of much more than we give them credit for, the truth is that they are still just kids. They’re still learning, and they will make mistakes and have accidents. That is okay. Accept it as part of the job–not something that has to ruin your day.
5. Take a Night Off
Finally, if you feel like you’re getting to the end of what you can handle, it’s okay to take a night off. Have your husband, friend or relative watch the kids for a few hours while you go shopping or out for a run. Plop the kids down in front of the TV for an hour with cereal while you flip through a magazine. You don’t have to be supermom. It’s okay to give yourself a break.
Do you find yourself being a grouchy mom more often than you’d like? What tricks do you use to help you make it through the day?
These are great tips!
Mann need to start to do these step.. just had forgot it is okay to not always be supermom..
very helpful tips! Thanks for the inspiration! I often try way too hard to be a perfect mom and get angry with myself when I fall short. But we are all human. Great blog! 🙂 Andrea