Cranky Mom: 13 Tips To Stop The Crankiness

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13 Tips For When You Are Feeling Like A Cranky Mom

Have you ever felt like a cranky mom?

Being a cranky mom can be frustrating for you and your family. Maybe it’s your time of the month, or perhaps something is going on with work or your family. Whatever the case may be, sometimes we can feel ourselves becoming cranky.

Or it can sneak up on us without us realizing it. So if you have found yourself being a cranky mom, here are some tips on easing the crankiness.

13 Tips For When You Are Feeling Like A Cranky Mom

13 Tips For When You Are Feeling Like A Cranky Mom

I recently became very cranky towards my children for no reason other than being in a bad mood. I realized it too; I could feel it, my crankiness. Have you ever been there?

When you realize you’re being cranky for no reason, it can make you feel like a bad mom.

I knew that I needed to switch gears immediately to stop being a cranky mom.

What are some ways you can switch gears when you find yourself feeling like a cranky mom?

I have compiled a list of 13 ways that are helpful to me, and hopefully, you can receive some benefit from them as well.

Apologize To Your Child When You’re Wrong

I always do the first and foremost thing when I feel like a cranky mom apologizing to my children.

Have you ever apologized to your child? It is a very humbling experience. Children are very forgiving. Every time I apologize to my children, they have been 100% compassionate and understanding. They usually say, “it’s okay, mommy; everyone makes mistakes.”

Although it can be difficult to apologize to some people (My ego takes a beating when I know I need to apologize), apologizing to your child can benefit both of you.

First, your child learns there’s no shame in admitting when you are wrong. Even when you’re an adult. Your child also discovers the power of forgiveness.

Second, apologizing to your child helps you admit when you’re wrong. It can also help you see your child as an individual with their thoughts and ideas. Not as an extension of yourself.

Affirming our children with who they are is one of our most important jobs. Get my list of powerful affirmations below!

Turn On Praise and Worship Music

Turning on worship and praise music when I feel cranky turns my mood around. Worship music gets my focus off of myself, what I need to do, and the problems I have. It then puts my emphasis on God.

It is a lot harder to be cranky when you remind yourself of how great God is and how many incredible blessings you have.

Try filling you’re home with praise and worship music when you’re feeling like a cranky mom.

You can also do this when you’re not feeling cranky. For example, most mornings, I will wake up after my devotions and before the kids wake up and put praise and worship music on, it sets the tone for our day.

Light A Candle Or Turn On The Essential Oil Diffuser

Another thing you can do is light a candle or turn on your oil diffuser. I’m not sure about all the benefits of a diffuser; I know that it puts me in a better mood most of the time.

Invest in one of your favorite candle scents to have ready, or invest in an essential oil diffuser. Turn it on/light it at the start of your day or when you feel cranky.

Get Sunshine and Fresh Air

A study done within the last couple of years says children need around four to six hours of outside daily. If children need that outdoor time, don’t you think it benefits us as adults?

Sunshine and fresh air do wonders for your mood.

So when you feel cranky and the day is nice, or even if it’s not nice, you can get outside, take a few minutes or a couple of hours and go out and get some fresh air and sunshine.

Get The Water Out For Kids and Yourself

When my daughter was an infant, I read something I still use today. It said when they are crabby, put them in water.

So when my child is feeling cranky, I get out of the water and have water play.

Whether that’s putting them in the bathtub getting the pool out, or getting the water table out, put your child in the water, and if you can, put yourself in water too.

Because if you’re feeling crabby, maybe water will work for you too.

When they are crabby, put them in water.

Take A Nap/Have a Quiet Time

We have eased away with quiet time. However, this will always be one of my favorite times of the day.

Taking care of small children is a lot of work.

It can be draining, and it can be exhausting. 

Having a set quiet time, especially when they’re tiny and demand so much attention from you, is a great idea and can benefit you as a mommy.

Have a set nap time for your child. It is a time when they can get the rest they need, and you can also rest and not do anything during that time. This can be highly refreshing.

If your child is not a napper, have a couple of activities set aside for your child to do during quiet time. 

This can be anything that they enjoy.

Sometimes, I used to let my child play on her leapfrog during nap time, although I know some parents might frown upon that. Whatever your child enjoys, do that. Your sanity is 100% worth it.

Get Alone For A Few Minutes

If you are feeling cranky and nap time is nowhere in sight, then take a few minutes for just yourself.

Go to your room, put on a TV show for your child or give them an activity they enjoy, and then spend some time alone to recharge.

It does not have to be for very long; five minutes, if that, can do wonders for your mood.

Put Aside Your Expectations

Sometimes I feel cranky because I have incredibly high expectations of myself, my kids, or my spouse.

Have you been there?

When I realize, okay, my expectations are a little too high right now, that is when my crankiness seems to subside.

Put aside your high expectations and enjoy your day. Maybe you are doing homework, home school, or an activity that you thought was fun, but your kids just aren’t enjoying it.

 Whatever it may be, if you see that your expectations are getting in the way of enjoying time with your family and not helping you connect with their heart, then set that activity aside and do something else.

Do Something Your Kids And You Enjoy

After setting aside your high expectations, find an activity that you and your child will enjoy.

The other day I came home from church. Our house was a disaster. I knew I needed to clean, but I was not feeling I. My kids are not feeling it, we had a busy week before, so I didn’t do it.

Do you know what I did instead? I binge-watched 3 1/2 movies with my oldest daughter. And she later told me that it was her best day.

It is 100% okay to put aside what you expect from yourself and your family and enjoy being in the moment. This can help you combat being a cranky mom.

Go For A Walk

Do you enjoy walks? This goes along with getting outside in the sunshine. If you find yourself feeling cranky, grab your kids, or maybe even go by yourself and go for a short walk around the block.

The exercise itself is good for us. Not to mention the sunshine in the fresh air.

Say A Prayer

God is not asking us to be perfect mothers. God is not asking us to be the ideal spouse. And He is not asking us to be flawless homemakers. 

Instead, he asks us to be honest, be present, and lean on Him.

When you find yourself feeling extremely cranky, say a prayer. Give your burdens to God. Then, dig deeper if you have time.

This can be done when you get alone. Or this can be done when you’re just doing your chores and your kids are playing.

God is waiting for us with open arms. He does not want us to spend our days feeling like cranky moms. He does not want us to feel burdened by our duties.

God tells us to come to Him, and He will refresh and renew our minds and spirits. So why do we not always take Him up on His offer?

Why do we look at ourselves to take on and do everything that needs to get done alone? Why do we burden ourselves so much?

When you feel cranky, get alone, put on some worship music, and say a prayer. It is never too late to turn your day around.

Knock Something Off Your To-Do List

Something else you can do is knock something off of your to-do list. When we feel like we have so much to do, it helps us knock off things on our to-do list.

It also helps to have your children do certain chores to help around the house. So you do not feel as overwhelmed with everything on your plate.

Laugh With Your Kids

What is something that makes your kids laugh? When you feel cranky, find something that makes your children laugh and laugh with them. There is nothing more healing than a child’s laughter.

When I am having a bad day and hearing my child laugh and giggle, it always puts me in a better mood.

So laugh with your child. Have a great time with your child. Make memories with your child!

Don’t waste your precious time being a cranky mom.

Before you know it, this time that you have as a housewife, as a mom to young children, will fly by.

Then you’ll look back and think, where did this time go? You don’t want to look back and see that your days were filled with cranky mom.

We can do certain things to help ourselves and help our family when we feel our humanness and the crankiness that comes so quickly because we are humans.

If you are new to the Peaceful Nest Blog, welcome!

Be sure to read my top posts on parenting:

• Why Consistent Parenting Matters
• 12 Habits of Immensely Peaceful Moms
• 63 Mom Hacks That Are Pure Genius
• How to Connect With Your Child’s Heart

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