Tips for Turning Around a Bad Day

Being a mom is a full time job.  A full-time job that doesn’t have much time off or down time.

There are days that just sour and Kids Activities Blog loves these ideas to stop bad days in their tracks!

We moms we can make it through most days tired but still smiling, but there are some days (you know the ones I mean!) that just seem totally unfixable. Everyone is grumpy, nothing on the to-do list gets looked at, and things are just miserable.

If you’ve ever had a day like that, you’re not alone.

Those are the days that I just give in to it. I forget about my long list of chores, and decide to just relax, reconnect as a family, and slow down. I then do one (or all!) of the five things listed below, and everyone starts feeling much better.

I hope these ideas will help you the next time you are having one of “those” days.

5 Ways to Turn a Bad Day Around

1. Get outside.
Just ten minutes outside can help to calm things down and make everyone feel better. Simply sit in the back yard, walk around the block, kick a ball around, blow some bubbles, eat your lunch on the grass, or read a book together. If things aren’t going well in our day, the first thing I do is head outside, no matter what the weather is like. Soaking up the warm sun, feeling a breeze on our cheeks, or splashing in rainy puddles – they are all an instant mood lifter.

2. Dance!  
Turn up the music and move! It doesn’t matter what the music is, just dance. Even if it’s just about the last thing you feel like doing, get up and move. This is a brilliant antidote to bad moods and tempers and before long everyone will be feeling better. Giggles and smiles are guaranteed.

3. Play.
Just like the dancing, playing might be the last thing you feel like doing, but it can really help to reconnect everyone when tempers have frayed.   If things have been loud and crazy, then you might choose something quiet and calming like working on a jigsaw puzzle together, or if everyone’s been feeling a bit glum, you might choose something more physical like a game of hide and seek. Either way, you’ll be feeling more relaxed and the kids will appreciate the quality time you are spending together.

4. Bake something yummy.
Haul the kids into the kitchen and have them help you bake a cake, a batch of cookies or whatever yummy treat is your family’s favorite. Let kids go crazy decorating your creations and then have a little party as you gobble up the freshly bakes goodies. Not into baking? Make some ice-cream sundaes!

5. Be kind to yourself.
Let yourself off the hook a little bit. Don’t let your inner voice get you down. Everyone has “those” days, and you are not a failure because things have not gone well. Give yourself a break. Take the night off from cooking and buy take-out or surprise your kids and let them eat cereal for dinner! They will think you’re the coolest Mom on the block.

What is your favorite way to diffuse a bad day?

Photo credits: D Sharon Pruitt