Snappy Days to Happy Days~~ A Message for Moms

We all have them. Those days we just can't function, those days that we want to stay in bed, those days we can't seem to make ourselves just enjoy life. It happens. There are days we are so exhausted we just want cup after cup of coffee and a good tv show, or book.

But we're moms.

That dreaded word, "Mom." That loved word, "Mom." It's all mixed into one. We aren't perfect. Let's get real. It sounds horrible to say it's a dreaded word, but how many hands can I get to admit that we have days that if our kids yell "mom" one more time, we are going to snap? I am going to guess that every single mom who is willing to be honest with themselves will say they have those days.

We are in the middle of a move. We just bought a house and it will be ready for us to move in to in about a month. I am pregnant. I am at that point that I feel really good for about the first hour of the day and the rest of the day feels like I'm pulling around a bag of 100 bricks. I'm exhausted. My kids have been feeling the tension of the move, and all the trips to see homes and sign papers and to sign more papers, runs to the bank etc. You know...it's just been one of those months. My son has started this "pouty face" and fit throwing like he's returned to the horrible land of terrible two's. My youngest has just reached the terrible two's and when we scold her, she scowls, scrunches up her little face and points her finger at me, wagging it like a new born puppy's tail. My middle child is trying to potty train. She doesn't seem to be trying, actually...and it's a problem. We had a good 2-3 weeks and then suddenly she reverted to not trying at all. Accidents everywhere. Both kind. Mind you, I am still struggling with a bit of morning sickness, so scrubbing "piles" out of the carpet isn't conducive to keeping my meals down.

Every day, it's, "Mom. Mom. Mommm. Mommmmmmm. Mommmmmyyyyy. MOMMY. Mom. MOMMY. MOM!"

Normally, I answer right away. Normally, on good days or good moments, shall we say, I am all present. I am there for my kids. But this past month we have been trying to get this house stuff together, I have been unable to multifunction. I have only been able to focus on one small thing at a time and even those things I was messing up. After hearing the "mom" word over and over, I end up snapping, "What? What do you want?!" Grrrrr. Surely I'm not the only mom who goes through this.

Then my heart melts and I feel bad when I see the confusion cross their face and they just turn away, and go about playing. Sometimes I get up and go get what they needed/wanted and some days, I call them to me to get cuddles, or some days, I'm way less than perfect and I just continue about my day, completing the work I was doing.

So being that the next month before we move will hold quite a bit of stress, I decided to make goals for myself and ideas on how to be a better mother during my "Snappy Days." Here are just a few that I came up with.

1. It's ok to be tired. Give yourself permission to be tired, to have time to yourself (take a bath, close the door and enjoy some chocolate).

2. Make time each day for each child. It's doable. 10 minutes even. Just sit down, read a story, watch a Disney Junior (30 minutes), color, give a bubble bath, paint their toe nails, even play trucks with your boys. You'll notice a huge difference in their behavior.

3. Get them involved. Let them "help." Need ideas? Here's a couple; give them a wet rag and ask them to scrub the cabinets, ask them to pick up the toys and turn on some Veggie Tales music, or something fun and upbeat.

4. Take them to the park once a week.

5. Have a quiet time for you and the kids. If you need to, stretch yourself and get up early and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, some tea or whatever you like to drink, make yourself breakfast and read a book, have devotional time, pray, listen to some music. Make time for you. And during the day, have the kids sit down on the couch and play the quiet game. Promise a treat (ice cream, frozen, flavored ice, cookies, or even outside time, or something like that). It'll change the course of the day and change the whole atmosphere.

6. Most important, take time to pray. When the panic attacks start, you find yourself breathing fast and feeling frustrated or angry, just stop what you're doing. Take 2-3 minutes to just relax, pray and reconnect.

7. Breathe. Breathe lots of deep breathes throughout the day. I find myself often shallow breathing and I think it really causes my tension to rise faster than it should.

8. Set aside time to work out a bit. Even if it's a 10-15 minute, YouTube, "Biggest Loser" walk, it'll help your attitude, your outlook and how you feel.


It's important for us moms to be honest with ourselves. It's important to express when we need a break. It's important for us to spend time with our kids. It's important to realize it's ok to be human, fail, have "Snappy Days" and it's also important for us to feel accomplished when we have good days where we have it all together. It's ok to celebrate. It's ok to be frustrated. It's all human emotion.

Let's try to turn our, "Snappy Days" into "Happy Days!"