Getting out of a Mom Funk

There are some days when I am just done with my kids. Do you know what I mean? It's usually after we've been cooped up from being sick, or a new developmental stage has brought on lots of a)clinginess b)whinyness c)tantrums d) all of the above. Usually I start to feel at the end of my rope and start getting easily frustrated... and everything deteriorates from there. Of course, that's also when some older mom (whose kids are out of the nest) will typically tell me something SUPER helpful like "I wish I had played more with my kids when they were little" or "aren't you just loving every second of parenting littles?" or (my favorite) "boy, you sure have your hands full!" It's always something along those lines that does not, in fact, make me feel better about my current state.

At those times I'm also not reassured by the opposite spectrum - the mommy blogs where everyone pats each other on the back for "getting through one more day", "surviving being a stay at home mom", or congratulates each other for sticking the kids in front of the TV for hours on end because "mom time." I'm not really interested in "surviving" these years, I'd prefer to thrive.

So I'm learning that there are a few things that consistently pull me out of my funk when I get like this:

Time in the Word. Typically, when things change and/or we go through a difficult stage, it means that I have not been reading my Bible or praying much (beyond "please God, help me to make it through this day/hour/second!") So I start making that a priority again. I often refer to I Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) when I'm feeling at the end of my rope - that passage tends to give me quite the kick in the pants. :)

Music. This helps me diffuse the tension, sometimes we dance silly dances, and oftentimes it just lessens that feeling of loneliness that can sometimes creep on me from staying home with my kids all day.

Reaching out to another young mom. I have a few friends that I know are "safe friends." I can call them to vent, and chat for a bit, and they will not judge me for being at the end of my rope, nor will they say maddening things like "oh, my kids have never really been tantrum throwers." :)

Getting outside. It's amazing what a difference taking the kids outside makes. If it's nice, we can go for a walk or play at the playground, take our time and enjoy the outdoors leisurely. If it's cruddy, just fifteen minutes of fresh air and sunshine will boost everyone's moods and change the dynamic enough to turn the day around.

So that's what works well for me. Do you have any thoughts or advice for when life with littles gets really hard?