Parenting is a job where you’re never off the clock. Even after the kids have gone to bed and you’re due some alone time, you’re still on call in case of a nightmare, trouble sleeping, or you need to change their sheets after an accident! And whilst you love having the kids around, and you’re proud to be the parent that you are, some days are harder than others.
Sometimes the kids just won’t stop crying, or won’t do as they’re told, or they just seem to be in a bad mood that you can’t get to the bottom of. On those days, you’re likely to tire out sooner than you usually would, and you have far less patience than you like to give them. And when it’s time to put your kids to bed, you’re not quite sure what to do with yourself.
That’s where our tips for relaxing can help. A hard parenting day doesn’t have to ruin your whole evening, and you can claw back a sense of peace when you get the chance.
Vent to a Loved One
Pick up the phone to someone you know and love well and just vent to them about the frustration of your day. Having an outlet is the best way to shake off the irritation that comes from those hard parenting moments, and your loved ones wouldn’t want you suffering in silence over there.
Call someone up, or write it all out in a text if you have to; get it out, say it to a real person, even if they have no calming words for you. The relief is in the act of ‘shouting’ about it, and that’s very healthy for you.
Put on an Old Favourite TV Show/Film
If you’ve been dosed up on kids’ cartoons all day, or your toddler cries if you turn off the favourite music, it’s definitely time to put on something that’s for you and you only! If there’s an old favourite TV show or movie in your library, pop it on and settle in with a snack, even if it’s something you’ve seen a million times before.
Don’t worry, if you can’t find such a program on DVD or any streaming services, you can also look up some soap2day alternatives and see if it’s available on those. Remember, watching something comforting, that you could recite practically word for word, is a very calming thing after a long and hard day. If you don’t want to take a chance on a new box set, put on something you know you love; it’s genuinely quite good for you.
See if You Can Take a Soak
If you’ve got parenting relief in the form of a partner, see if they can handle any after-bed requests while you take a long soak in the bath. Baths are good for making you feel calm and collected, as they allow you to rest your body in a semi-weightless environment. And hey, throwing a bath bomb into some water and watching it bubble and fizz away is just fun!
Spend a good hour in the bathroom; don’t let yourself shrivel up like a prune, but slip into some warm water and let the soaps wash away that ‘icky’ feeling you might have right now. Physical sensations are very good at maintaining a balanced mental state.
Go for a Short Walk
If you’re feeling a lot of pent up frustration after a hard day of being a parent, don’t sit with it any longer. If you’re able to, as in there’s someone else in the house or someone can come round to watch the kids, get outside for maybe 10 or 20 minutes.
The feeling of some fresh air washing over you, spending time listening to the sounds of the natural world, and soaking up a bit of sun, are all amazing fixes for a bad mood.
Eat a Bit of Junk Food
Junk food, filled with over processed nonsense and little to no nutritious value, probably isn’t the first thing you reach for as a responsible parent. But seeing as you’ve had a hard day, we think you’re allowed to indulge. If you don’t have any in the house, don’t be afraid to get some takeout. It’s just this once!
Being a parent is going to be hard, and there’s no getting away from that. But if you’re feeling the pressure now, take a moment to shake it off with activities like these.