When Your Mommy Meltdown Needs a Makeover
Let me paint you a picture. You are already VERY late for homeschool dance class, and no one is getting dressed or putting their shoes on. Two kids are arguing over the chocolate cereal that has been spilled all over the floor that you stayed up late vacuuming the night before. You haven’t had time to eat breakfast, and you are walking over the laundry mountain that has spilled over the side of the couch.
After a whole lot of yelling orders like a wild banshee, everyone is finally in the car. THEN your coffee is everywhere. The baby is screaming. Someone has a bump in their shoe and it somehow prevents them from getting buckled. Someone else forgot their backpack. Ever been there?
I sure have, and usually I can handle it unscathed. But for some reason, today I completely snapped. I do not ever raise my voice, even when disciplining my children. So they were terrified. After seeing my ugly response in the reflection of the hurt on their faces, my heart softened and I cried out to the Lord for help. He gave me a simple solution to avoid making a chaotic situation worse with a Mommy Meltdown Makeover!
The STOP Method: To Makeover Your Mommy Meltdown
S – Stop
Stop what you are doing. Screaming never fixes anything. If you boil over in anger, not only are you not modeling a Christ -like attitude to your children, but it will probably only make the whole situation worse. Step-back, slow down, and stop before doing anything else.
T – Take
Take a deep breath (or 10!). Talk calmly to your children. Tell them that mommy is having a difficult time being patient. Tell them you are sorry, especially if you have already acted rashly before you realized you were in full on Mommy Meltdown Mode. Take a minute for yourself to regain your composure. Trust me, being on time or finishing that math problem or spelling word isn’t worth the damage of NOT taking this minute.
O – Observe
Observe the situation. Now that you have stopped the meltdown in its gruesome tracks and taken a deep breath and a minute to calm down, you will be able to observe why this happened more clearly. Are you exhausted? Are you “hangry?” (Meaning you are a grouch because your body seriously needs some food.) Have you drank enough water? (Or have you drank ANY water today?) Are you over scheduled? Do you need to tweak your schedule or make a new plan to allow things to run more smoothly, thus preventing a mommy meltdown in the future? Make a mental note of what needs to be done and make sure you have taken care of yourself!
P – Pray
Prayer is probably the most important thing you can do when you have reached the point of meltdown madness. You need to invite the Lord to take over your day, and to help you speak calmly and kindly. If you are frazzled, the Prince of Peace is really the only one capable of knowing exactly what you need. I have found that stopping to pray with my kiddos, asking for His forgiveness, and breathing in the grace and mercy that I don’t deserve resets my entire attitude. Tell Him how you are feeling, and what you are thinking. He knows it anyways! Cry out to Him for help when you feel like you are loosing you patience (or your mind!). We don’t have to do this in our own strength!
Every time my situation leaves me completely outmatched and I feel a Mommy meltdown coming on, I plan on remembering to STOP! I would love to hear how you have overcome your mommy meltdown madness! Comment below! 🙂
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Tiffany
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