Printable View
Does anyone else have those days where you just don't have enough patience? It happens to me when I don't get enough sleep and unfortunately I've been having a hard time with that lately. I turn into this person that even I don't like :no: I'm doing this job so as not to send my kids to someone like that. Then I get 8 hours sleep and I love the kids, love the job, like who I am...
My special needs daughter is now 19 and I can count on one hand the number of weeks that I have actually gotten 8 hours or more every night for that week. Usually she is up and down resulting in 6 hours or less. It took me many years of doing this before my body started to treat it as somewhat normal. Now it takes me about 3 nights of 4-5 hour sleeps before I reach the grumpy stage but I do change up my routine accordingly. I remove obnoxious toys, limit my active involvement - put music on for them to dance if they want to but not lead the dancing, that sort of thing. The kids don't really notice much probably because it happens so often but it is just enough to save my energy for the activities that matter. Try to get outside on days like this as the fresh air really helps. The true saving grace for me is that Brianne will normally fall asleep in the afternoon if she has had a poor night giving me total naptime quiet peace which means tea and treats - I like a dish of icecream with chocolate sauce and some pecans from my baking stash.
Think of your lack of patience days as teaching days. Children need to learn that not everyone in the world is all cutsey and smily and over the top happy all the time and that just like there are days we feel sick or have a headache we can't seem to shake they also need to learn to adapt to the needs of others - us. You probably aren't coming across as mean sounding as you feel you are. Recognizing what is happening is half the battle. No one in the world is truly perky everyday. We are mothers not circus performers so give yourself an extra tea break or drop the craft time or whatever event causes stress and make those days to your advantage and then hope they don't happen any more often then they have to. I am totally the exception here because of Brianne's issues but do remember when our own kids get older it does get a bit better.
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom and advice. I always try to tell myself that there are new moms all over the world not getting as much sleep as they need, but they get up and face their days.....and I did it, too. (Of course that was with just 2 kids, not 6)
Thanks again! I think I can, I think I can ;)
Don't feel bad, happens to all of us. We in daycare just are too hard on ourselves and don't allow ourselves to have 'off' days. Just think, if we were working outside the home we wouldn't think twice about having a bad day, or taking a 'mental health day' every now and then. We are only human and can't always be the perfect happy person that we want to be in our jobs. Everyone has bad days/tired days, we just have to allow ourselves to be human too :)
We all definitely human for sure - I think there is nothing wrong with teaching the children that sometimes we TOO are just tired and no on our A game - I come right out and tell my crew that 'today I really need your help to be extra friendly with each other cause I am tired / not feeling well and am not up to playing referee' it is amazing how when we are honest and tell em what we need they rise to the occasion for sure!
Drink some Jasmine tea. It will lessen your stress and make you energetic :) And another think I do when I have those days, I think of stuff that makes me happy and if there is something I'm looking forward to. It helps in my case.
Hope you will feel better soon.
Cocoon
I sometimes give myself a time out when I'm feeling like my patience is disintegrating. Like Reggio. I just tell the kids that I'm a bit grumpy, ask them to go get something to play quietly with and go out on my back porch for 5 minutes to find some zen. Usually I can then summon enough energy to get to nap time/home time.
If all the kids are on the same schedule- take a nap when all the other kids are
I'm feeling like that today...my 20 month old kept me awake from 2:30am until it was time to get up for the day...I think it is teething pain...not sure, it doesn't happen often. On days like this I am grateful that I am doing daycare rather than having to get my kids to daycare and go speak in coherent sentences at work ;) Although it is draining taking care of the kids, I can talk less, smile less, do less if I want and nobody notices as Playfelt said. Also, I don't have to worry about sending a sleep deprived toddler off to daycare...I know the kind of night she had, so I am more patient with her and try to make things easier on her and me (ie. pick my battles). And now, naptime...time for a bit of rest...maybe leave the dishes for later...and coffee of course :) In the afternoon we'll go outside (getting ready is a test of patience, but once out, it does help). I send strength to all my tired, sleep deprived colleagues out there!
ughhhh this is me too today! My 2yr old has a sinus cold so she was up every 30min with a cough attack which lead to gagging and throwing up twice! Changing sheets with a crying kid at 4:40am is NOT fun! I'm in my jeggings and oversized white tshirt....I don't care! lol
And it seems days like today they "forget" no picking your nose and wiping it on the table! or push the slower stair climber down (thankfully it was only one step left) or spilling your water to make a puddle on the floor isn't allowed! This is all from the SAME dck - she also follows everyone and anyone...if you touch a toy she will be right there to "play" with it too (take it away), unloading the dishwsher and I accidently bump into her, if I ask someone a question she is answering, if I'm spending a little one-on-one time teaching another one something she's poking her head to be involved....she's SO nosy! lol it tests my last nerve! Throughout the day I say about 5 times I have to tell her to find her OWN toy to play with or to leave someone alone. ((sigh))
well, then, I'm certainly not alone then am I?!? I actually got through the day pretty good. I didn't even have the chance to get sick of hearing myself! :D
The tripping over them is really irritating on those kind of days, eh? They feel like little ants everywhere!
Little ants...lol...I agree :) I got through quite well too...manged not to lose patience although I have one who has started picking his nose contantly and eating it...really disgusting!!! Thank goodness for naptime on days like this, that's all I can say!
1000000% Thank goodness for NAP time!! lol
I have to admit I took a 30min snooze myself and it totally saved me! It was just enough for a boost, and the dck's woke up in much better spirits 2.5hrs later!
Hubby was great, he sensed that things were tense so he helped a lot and when I got down from giving my daughter her bath & bed....I had a nice hot cup of coffee waiting for me! much needed...
ahhh. And today is payback for the tough days. I only have one dck with my daughter. And they are the easiest two together. Hardly any interventions necessary. :D Actually, I'd love to take them somewhere since they're only the 2 and I have 2 carseats, just can't think of anything free and fun. We already did the library this week....
Rescue Remedy can be your new best friend. I love that stuff. Also- kids need to learn that everyone has rough days. They need to learn manners about that too. I have quite honestly told my kids that I am feeling grumpy today and need them to behave because I want to be nice but i am having a hard time.