It’s happened to the best of us. We resolve to be calmer with our kids and then just end up losing control completely and feeling frustrated and guilty. It’s hard to stay calm when your little ones are intent on pushing all your buttons, but there are some hacks you can use to calm down the next time you feel like you’re about to blow a fuse!
- Walk away. Physically move yourself to a different place before you erupt. Whatever you do, don’t say or do anything while you are still angry.
- Take a few deep breaths to help yourself calm down.
- Think about what may be triggering your child. Could he or she be hungry, tired, sleepy, maybe exposed to too much screen or feeling overwhelmed? Identifying these triggers will help you calm down as well as help your child.
- Identify your own triggers as well. Do you get angrier when you are tired, hungry or perhaps at the end of a long day? Knowing your own triggers will help you be prepared to deal with future meltdowns.
- Think of your kids when they were babies! This hack really works! Visualizing your kids as babies can help you instantly calm down.
- If you do lose your cool despite this, go back and talk to your child about what made you angry and why you reacted the way you did. It’ll help your kids understand that Mama is only human too!
Are there any hacks that work for you when you feel like Mount Vesuvius about to erupt? Do share in the comments!