![]() ![]() That’s a precious lesson we can teach our children.Being a mom in the summer has its challenges. But they will remember that when mom messed up, she always said she was sorry. Our kids may not know how we tried to stop the yelling. We pick up the pieces and try to do better the next day. Get down on the floor, look your child in the eye and say you’re sorry. You feel like an ogre – and not the cute kind from Shrek. When you speak to your child later, you’ll be disciplining from a place of controlled emotion, rather than anger.ĭespite your best efforts and all the pro tips in the world, there are going to be times when you say things you don’t mean. You’ve seen that once the lid is off and the words are being poured out, there’s no stopping the flow. But you didn’t need a study to tell you that. Research shows that expressing anger while we are angry actually makes us more angry. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to vent to get it off your chest. And, no, you can’t fold the laundry while breathing. Staring at a screen is just going to raise your blood pressure and make you more tired. Just like your toddler in time out is not allowed to play with his toys, stay away from your favorite toy (your phone, perhaps?). Here’s the thing, though: You need to use the time to re-calibrate, and to embrace the emotions of the moment. Hand the kids over to your spouse or put them in front of a screen – and take yourself out of the situation that’s making you break into hives. You recognize that you’re at the very point of no return. You feel like you’re going to go over the edge any minute. Then you realize there’s a whole tribe of you who chronically late and sleep deprived and that it’s going to be okay.Įven after you’ve done all that you could to avoid potentially explosive situation, it happens. At first, you’ll wince and smile apologetically while you explain your tardiness. But the sooner you realize that it saves your sanity, the better. For someone like me who is paranoid about being on time, accepting that I’ll be late was a huge challenge. Mommies the world over have testified to this strange phenomenon. Just when you’ve strapped the three-year-old into his car seat, he will declare he needs to go potty. ![]() There’s a special edition of Murphy’s law for parents. Sure, the kids may be a bit sugared up when you get home, but it’s so worth it. Ask your mom-in-law if she can watch the kids while you treat yourself to a quiet moment. Divert your Starbucks fund to hire a house cleaner once in a way. Ask a friend if she can watch your kids once a week (and do the same for her). But, sometimes, it’s okay to retire the Supermom cape. But there are little eyes who see so much more. Give library story time a pass and read books at home in your PJs. But maybe this season your child misses Peewee Soccer. I know it sounds distinctly un-American to not have your child play a sport or go to a ballet class. Take a long hard look at your to-do's and give yourself permission to start hacking. But not every single thing needs to get checked off that list. Yes, you have to make that Target run when you’re down to the last diaper. Yes, I get it: Your family needs clean undies. While I’m no expert, life experience (my kids are a bit older now) and research have brought to light some practical ideas of the before, during, and after of these mommy meltdowns.ĭon’t roll your eyes just yet. How do we handle those moments that push us over the edge? We don’t want to set a pattern of uncontrolled emotions for our children. Momplosions happen, and the only audience is a couple of bewildered kids who wonder why mommy is acting so strange. Except, in this case, Matt Damon doesn’t swoop in to disengage the warhead just as the world is about to explode. They’re like the glassy-eyed scientists in the movies who know the sequence of switches to launch a nuclear missile. It’s like kids know exactly which buttons to push. Honestly, if the story of my life were a three-line meme, it would read: "I was a Zen person. When the dust settles, it always involves guilt. It may involve slammed doors, really loud words, ugly crying, and eating your way through a sleeve of Oreos. When the to-do list is a mile long, the toddler is pounding on the floor like an overzealous percussionist, the baby is screaming like a fangirl at a Justin Bieber concert, and you’re trying to get out the door with a diaper bag, a car seat and what’s left of your sanity, you may find yourself in the throes of a mommy meltdown. I’m talking about being in control of our emotions when things aren’t going quite as planned. Having a kid or two only seems to make it worse. ![]()
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