This has been a week of cranky days, the kids are cranky and so am I and I have no idea why. When days like this come along it’s very easy to spiral down into a place of meanness and tears but our God has called us to a joyful life so we have to do something to find our joy. Sometimes it’s as easy as making someone laugh but what do you do when everyone in the house is just plain cranky and getting on each other’s last nerve? Some things I’ve found to be helpful are:
- Firstly just get out of the house. We homeschool but that doesn’t mean we have to be at home to learn, sometimes a field trip is the perfect way to refocus.
- Play a game, this will depend on everyone’s mood as fights can easily break out over a too competitive game so not a good choice when everyone is cranky. Something silly is good, we like Pictureka.
- Often for my kids a good tear-jerker movie is just what the doctor ordered because if they are just a bundle of emotions the movie lets them cry themselves out of their bad mood.
- For Casper and me music is often good, particularly making music. Casper is teaching herself to play the piano and I’m teaching myself the violin. Mowgli is learning the guitar but it doesn’t help him as much as us.
- Gardening can be helpful particularly as it gets everyone out in the sun and fresh air.
- If all else fails, just send everyone to a different part of the house for half an hour.