There are those days–fortunately for me they do not happen very often, but I admit that there are still those days where I find myself at a place where I cannot seem to find a single smile. No matter how I try to shrug off the stresses or the day’s challenges–maybe I am wrestling with a migraine or have had to cope with worries and stresses magnified. Whatever the reason, coming home to your family and kids when you cannot find a single smile can be a problem…
When my kids were much younger and had a tendency to be very cute and charming–I found that they could solicit smiles and laughter from me when I thought I was totally maxed. But I was younger and found it easier to bounce back from rough days then too. Now, every once in a while, I can find myself in a “mood” or a place where I cannot even imagine mustering a weak smile at the end of the day.
For me, it helps to remind myself that my kids deserve better. Even if they are contributors to the stress and anxiety (and with three teenagers, that can often be the case), they do deserve to have the one parent who shares the house with them at least be civil and pleasant. This means that I have to take care of myself–take a timeout, do something pleasant, and figure out how to leave my bad day at the doorstep so that I can get my head in the parenting game when I come home. My kids don’t deserve to have me take my crabby day out on them.
I listen to music, take a hot shower, sit down and force myself to listen to my kids and get into their world–these help me to shift my mood and find a smile or two. Once I am able to get out of the previous mood and focus on my family, the rest generally takes care of itself.