A Top Ten on How to Deal

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Here is a “top ten” list of activities and/or mindsets I tap into in order “to deal” with the ups and downs of raising lovely, wonderful, creative, and active children. Did I also mention *ahem* creative and active?

1. Don’t take stuff too seriously. Don’t take ANYTHING seriously. I’m serious about not being serious. One of my favorite quotes is “Never take life seriously, nobody ever gets out alive anyway.” If I took my 4 year old’s assessments of the size of my butt seriously, I’d be typing with a pencil in my mouth because I’d be tied up in a straight jacket right now.
2. Roll with it. You know the old adage, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” I really don’t know how to make lemonade from pee on the floor of a child who should have been fully potty trained 2 years ago, but if I don’t roll with it… I’d need to enroll in an anger-management course for “Mother’s Who are Incapable of Potty-training Their Third Child.” My THIRD! I should have this down! However, I have learned the less I lose it, the less I will traumatize both of us.
3. Stop and smell the roses. In many cases, this can be taken literally. Just accept the fact that no matter how urgent the situation is, there will always be a flower or weed to swoon over, a twisted car seat belt that Junior insists on untwisting “By. Mysewlf!”, or the sock that was the only option when you left the house… suddenly grows stinging nettles and they MUST be removed in the middle of the parking lot. Just know time is never on your side
4. Laugh along, laugh easily.
5. Ignore it. Sometimes we just need to look the other way. It gives us a break from being the “bad guy” and let’s Molly get something out of her system. I don’t mean dangerous stuff, but things like pouring out the monster bottle of bubbles on the driveway. It drives me NUTS, but “choose your battles.”
6. Stock-up on spray glitter. It’s a great tool for behavior re-direction. What was once so important and critical pales in the shimmer of glitter spray. Smoke and mirrors, my friends, smoke and mirrors… One of the outside walls of my how shimmers because of the glitterfest that happened the other night. It’s quite awesome actually.
7. Play loud music and dance. Outside or inside, it’s your choice. There’s nothing like great music to shift the mood and get lazy bodies moving!
8. Snuggle. Not only does it soften your heart toward your children, but it helps center and soften theirs as well. It doesn’t have to be hours, even just a few minutes can make ALL the difference.
9. Breakfast for dinner. ‘Nuf said.
10. *______________________* What is something YOU do to help you “deal” with the daily life with kids?
11. OK. I need to add – chocolate and a room with a lock on the door. You know what I’m talkin’ about.

Jenny Ingram is the mother of three children (ages 4, 7 and 10) and lives near Seattle in Washington state. She loves writing here at Type-A Mom, for her own blog (Jenny on the Spot), and has a passion for encouraging moms in this journey…for she has been encouraged.

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