When Your Patience Has Dried Up...

[momneedscoffee]

What do you do when you run out of patience? Not with a specific thing, but just in general. Lately I have been finding myself feeling very snappy/irritable/annoyed over everything that has to do with kids. Sounds bad but it's true and I can't be the only one. It may be the weather/long winter. Makes going outside miserable. Plus I need a vacation, a real obe, nor just a couple days off at home. But I can't tell do much about either of these things at the moment. How do you guys cope?

[Michael]

Some threads that may relate: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=overwhelmed

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=burnt+out

[Cat Herder]

Physical exercise and de-stress time.

Evening walks with my DH works wonders for me. I sleep better, I feel like I got out of the "school marm/mom role" for a bit before bedtime, I feel more connected to DH and I feel calmer about life in general. lovethis

[Annalee]

Physical exercise and de-stress time.

Evening walks with my DH works wonders for me. I sleep better, I feel like I got out of the "school marm/mom role" for a bit before bedtime, I feel more connected to DH and I feel calmer about life in general. lovethis

I agree with this, I just need to be more disciplined with walking myself. 30 minutes of steady walking a day does wonders!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Are you getting enough sleep and are you eating nutritious foods? I find that if I'm ensuring that I'm getting both that I am a lot more patient. I tend to add in some fish oil for good measure and vitamin d (seriously helps). ::

[DaveA]

Light the forge, grab a big hammer and start pounding. Something about beating on a 1800 degree piece of steel works wonders on the frustrations. I find the focus needed when creating something does wonders to center me.

We bought a portable massage table a couple years ago. Been one of the best purchases we ever made. Either giving or receiving one is just about equally enjoyable. Just the act of being pampered or pampering my wife can really burn off stress and tension.

[Ariana]

You are not alone!
:hug::hug::hug:

Just knowing that helps me

[momneedscoffee]

Physical exercise and de-stress time.

Evening walks with my DH works wonders for me. I sleep better, I feel like I got out of the "school marm/mom role" for a bit before bedtime, I feel more connected to DH and I feel calmer about life in general. lovethis

I need to do that. But it's cold and I hate the cold

[momneedscoffee]

Are you getting enough sleep and are you eating nutritious foods? I find that if I'm ensuring that I'm getting both that I am a lot more patient. I tend to add in some fish oil for good measure and vitamin d (seriously helps). ::

I eat well, but tend to put off / skip meals lately. And sleep may have something to do with it. My 1 yr old has not been sleeping well AT ALL lately

[Cat Herder]

I need to do that. But it's cold and I hate the cold

When the weather is too cold we go to the local Y and do laps around the indoor basketball courts (usually vacant, here). Malls are great for that, too... just avoid the food court. ::

[Controlled Chaos]

Ditto to what everyone else has said. I hear you on the cold - it just started warming up here and it has done wonders for my mood. I had a super grumpy few months Dec-Jan and what I found helped, was when I got myself snapping at the kids or getting impatient was I took a deep breath and made myself watch and truly appreciate how they are just children. I would mentally go though a list like "Susy is only 2, look how she is so tender with the baby dolls" "Toby is only 3, how do little boys just know how to make car and dino sounds?" "Sara is 1, she misses her momma, it is hard to be so small and control so little in your world, look how she is learning by touching everything" The litany of observations helps me center and appreciate how young the children in my care are and remember they are individual little people who need treated with respect. :hug: Hope it warms up near you soon!

[childcaremom]

Ditto to what everyone else has said. I hear you on the cold - it just started warming up here and it has done wonders for my mood. I had a super grumpy few months Dec-Jan and what I found helped, was when I got myself snapping at the kids or getting impatient was I took a deep breath and made myself watch and truly appreciate how they are just children. I would mentally go though a list like "Susy is only 2, look how she is so tender with the baby dolls" "Toby is only 3, how do little boys just know how to make car and dino sounds?" "Sara is 1, she misses her momma, it is hard to be so small and control so little in your world, look how she is learning by touching everything" The litany of observations helps me center and appreciate how young the children in my care are and remember they are individual little people who need treated with respect. :hug: Hope it warms up near you soon!

I like this.

I have been feeling in a funk lately, too and find myself feeling the same way. I think the dcks are feeling it, too. We have spent the past two days out as much as possible which has helped everyone's mood.

:hug:

[Thriftylady]

It is the weather for me. We have had a nice day here and there, and it works wonders for me. My irritations are usually with my family more than the DCKs though. Poor hubby bears the brunt of my moods. I start out venting, but he rarely takes it that way.

[Unregistered]

Yes, take time to care for yourself...it's the little things. Whatever you define as relaxing to you. For me it's getting a latte or other coffee drink from the local cafe a few times a week before kids come, eating well, drinking enough water, exercise, buying a magazine and taking time to read it, sitting on my porch whenever it's sunny even if it's chilly for a few minutes, connecting with family and friends, getting outside on the weekends, candlelight, attending interesting classes, etc.

The things that makes each of us happy and helps us to de-stress is different for all of us.

I just saw a post on fb...it said, "The things that are good for your soul, do that."

[Play Care]

It occurred to me last week that I probably have some degree of SAD, being snappy/irritated, not having energy to do things I typically enjoy, etc. Just kind of recognizing it has made a bit of difference. Though I suspect as it gets nicer and I can get out more it will be even better.

Do you have little ones of your own at home? I found when my own kids were not in school, days "off" felt kind of useless because it wasn't really a "break"
Then I would book a Saturday "off" and let DH take over.

If you have older kids, I would totally take a Friday and Monday off. I usually book a massage or meet a friend for lunch/movie on Friday and Monday would be a stay in jammies day. What ever is going to relax you. It might not be completely perfect but it could help. And it's less expensive than a plane ticket to Key West