a little poll... if only I knew how to ???? I'd be a much happier parent

The result of a quick poll from coaching cafe members (I thank you)...

I'd be a much happier parent if I knew how to...

1. not be frustrated with the repetitive day to day requests.
2. face and resolve emotional issues - for myself and in my children
3. take time for myself

By far the most replies fall into the first category... not feel frustrated with the day in day out repetition... they were phrased as "get my children to listen", "be more patient", "stop shouting", "recognise the consistency in my children".
What can we do here? I admit this too is the biggest issue (currently) for me as a parent...I feel as if I am talking to myself some of the time....ever heard yourself say (or remember your mother say) "I should make a recording of myself saying this!"

My number one tip is to make the repetition as much fun for yourself as you can. Vary how you are saying whatever it is. Hand signals, a different language, a whisper, a shout, a made up language with the right intonation, saying it backwards, total silence and motionlessness, the biggest hug and a kiss. If nothing else it relieves the boredom of the repetition for me and sometimes stops my kid in her tracks. If it's a doing thing maybe race your kids to the next action, or challenge them by a go really really slow game, maybe commentate their actions as if it were a sporting event.

Wanna think out your options? email me

my dogs are a barometer for my anger founded emotions

I've heard this saying "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" many times and thought yeah that's so true..but I don't do that....and then I really thought about and realised that even when I keep a lid on my emotions and think they aren't showing this does happen.

For example, I'm walking my daughter to school and decide one of the dogs would like it to. After getting three of us ready to go out the door, we were on time and now we are late. So I think OK we'll just walk quicker. We do walk quicker. We stop for a interesting rock. We stop for a poo (that's the dog not me or my daughter). We fall flat on our face (that's my daughter's too big new shoes). The dog is pulling and whining and barking all the way. Eventually we get to school and my daughter goes in; everything's fine. We turn around and it's like I have a different dog with me. He is calm, he walks by my side, he doesn't make a sound. I think why couldn't you have been like this on the way here. Then I get it , I realise his walker (me) is a different person now we've made our deadline. My shoulders are relaxed, my breathing is normal.... he knows it...now I know it too!


read more about being human whilst being a mom from the moms coach