5 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Mind as a Mom

5 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Mind as a MomI consider myself a pretty patient and even-tempered person, however there are times when having three small children tests my patience like nothing else.  One can only take cheerios smashed into the carpet, sibling bickering, and screaming for more “Peppa Pig” for so long, am I right?

If I have had a particularity long day, that glorious moment when my husband walks through the front door after work is like a tall glass of water on a hot day. {Some days he walks into pure chaos, bless him.}

One time, after a particularly trying day,  he asked me why I am always singing DMX’s “Party Up” under my breath.  “Do you know the rest of the lyrics? They aren’t exactly PG,” he asked.

Yes, I realize this, however there are days when a portion of these lyrics have never rung truer in all the days of my life.

“Y’all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here…  Y’all gonna make me act a fool, up in here up in, here.  Y’all gonna make me lose my cool, up in here, up in here.” ~ DMX

As I reflect on my day as I lay in bed at night, sometimes I can’t help but feel guilty for losing my cool too much throughout the day.   There are times when I find myself raising my voice, not being patient enough, and overreacting.  I make a mental vow to not get worked up over minor things the next day, but before you know it, my baby alarm clock is going off, I have two kids demanding breakfast, and a sink full of dishes awaiting me.  It’s easy to feel flustered as soon as my feet hit the floor.

However, I love my kiddos more than anything.  I really want to be the best mom I can be to them, which includes being patient.

After many fails and many days of losing my cool, I have compiled the top 5 ways that help me remain calm in the chaos that is my life:

  1. Lower your expectations – In fact take your expectations and cut them in half {Or do what I do sometimes and throw them completely out the window}.  Dishes didn’t get done?  Don’t be so hard on yourself, at least your kids ate!   Laundry not folded?  No biggie, at least they are clean!  10 minutes late for your play-date?  Better than 30! When I lower my expectations I am much less irritable, and I have found that we are all happier when I am not holding everyone (including myself) to pinterest-worthy standards.
  2. Channel your inner Daniel Tiger –  “When you feel so mad you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four.”  Who knew the good ol’ Tiger was so wise?  Take a moment before reacting.  It sounds cheesy, but really taking a moment to calm down helps me avoid raising my voice and overreacting over minor things.
  3. Look at the big picture –  Some of the situations that I find myself losing my cool over are, well let’s face it: dumb. They are not life altering.  The majority of the time I get impatient over small day-to-day inconveniences such as dinners dumped on the floor, slow traffic, and temper tantrums.  The things that I get worked up about throughout the day are not the things that are going to matter 5 months from now, and honestly they probably won’t even matter 5 minutes from now.  It’s much more important to look at the bigger picture of raising confident children than overreacting over something silly.
  4. Count your blessings – This goes hand-in-hand with number 3.  When I look at the big picture sometimes I realize that I am losing my cool over things that some might consider blessings.  For example, even though my daughter’s dress might be splattered with paint from a craft that has gone awry, the mere fact that we are fortunate enough to have the resources for her to have that dress, not to mention the 15 others just like it hanging in her little closet, is a huge blessing.  So focus on the positive and choose to see the blessings in your life!
  5. Take time for yourself – I am a self proclaimed momaholic.  I do mom things with my mom friends.  I go to mom events, all while wearing my mom clothes, and driving my mom-mobile.  This is the stage of life that I am in, and I love it.  However, I believe that it is important to take time for myself and take the occasional break from being “mom”.  I have found that when I do things for myself, I do not lose my cool nearly as often.  So fellow momaholics, go out with your friends and get a pedicure, or stay home and read a book.  Go ahead and do that extra work out, or stuff your face with pizza and catch up on “Real Housewives”.  Take an hour and do what makes you happy.  Take time for yourself, so you can make quality time for them.

What tips do you have for remaining patient, and how do you avoid losing your cool? 

Previous articleHow to Take GREAT Photos With Your Phone
Next article22 Signs You’re an Oklahoma Mama
Britnie Sims
I grew up in sunny California and moved to Oklahoma to attend college. That is where I met my amazing husband, and now we are here to stay! I live in Blanchard with my husband and three kiddos. We also have two standard poodles who we all adore and consider a part of our family! My family likes to stay busy, and we are always on the go exploring Norman and OKC. I love to write, and I document my adventures on this crazy journey of motherhood on my personal blog!

3 COMMENTS

  1. We are watching Daniel Tiger right now! I love starting my day off with a little dose of his wisdom ? Great list. Number 3 hits me the hardest. I definitely react a lot before processing “does this truly matter? Is it worth spending the energy on getting worked up and upset?”

  2. Thank you for posting this! Something us teachers need to be reminded of also. We watch a lot of Daniel Tiger at home. I had forgotten about that song. I am going to post that in my classroom for all of us to remember! Keep on Keeping on! Love reading your blog!!

  3. Britnie,
    This is my favorite line in your post. “I have found that we are all happier when I am not holding everyone (including myself) to pinterest-worthy standards.” I could not agree more on all your points and I think they are fantastic for general day in and day out life application. Great job.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here