How to Turn a Bad Day Around

It was one of those days. The kids were doing everything possible to make me crazy. They were breaking just about every rule. Pushing every single limit. Bickering with each other non stop. If something didn’t change I was going to loose it. I’d been in this negative cycle before and I knew just what needed to happen. I knew how to turn this bad day around. I knew who needed a good attitude adjustment…. ME!

At that moment I didn’t really feel like admitting it… but the problem with this day wasn’t the little people I was so happy to blame. The problem was me. I was nagging and criticizing and nit picking every little thing (if I were a yeller I’m sure I would have been yelling). And you know what? When I get like that no one can do anything right. Why should they even bother trying?

I did what I always do once I realize I’m having one of those days… I hid in the bathroom for 5 minutes. I took a few deep breaths. I found the teeny tiny piece of calm that was hiding under all that impatient clutter. And I made myself the promise. The promise that always seems to flip the switch in our home. The promise that always seems to turn the day around.

“When I leave this bathroom, I will find the good. I will compliment the things that are being done right and ignore the things that aren’t so right. I will embrace the lovely behaviors and sidestep the icky ones. I will show love and hide annoyance. I will see only the positive.”

(I should add that I never ignore anything that is potentially harmful.)

When I can do that, something amazing happens. Everyone snaps into shape. Almost immediately the kids seem to be trying to please me, they work extra hard to behave and the house becomes instantly peaceful.

I’m really not sure why the change happens so quickly. Perhaps they like feeling the warm appreciation from me and want it to continue

… or maybe it never had anything to do with them in the first place. Maybe it was just my view of the situation and they aren’t acting any differently than they were before I flipped the switch.

PS. I should also add that sometimes it takes more than a quick trip to the bathroom to flip the switch. Sometimes I need a bath, a good night sleep and a little extra confidence from my awesome hubby.

How do you turn a bad day around?