My son Jacob is four going on, you know, TEENAGER.
One minute, he’s the most adorable little boy, whispering in my ear that he loves me more than anyone, even grandad (and that’s a lot) and the next, he’s roaring at my that he loves me ‘Zero!’ because I’ve asked him to get dressed.
Often times, when he’s in bad form or misbehaving, I try to figure out where it’s coming from (that’s after I’m done taking 20 deep breaths so that I don’t lose my temper with him).
Is he tired?
Is he upset over something specific?
Is he coming down with something?
Is he hungry? (I’m always narked when I’m hungry)
Sometimes, it isn’t any of those things, and he’s just having an ‘off’ day.
And that’s ok – we all have Off Days, right?
Here are 5 things you can do to cheer your little one right back up again:
1. Get Outdoors
With recent studies claiming that Irish children spend less time outdoors than prison inmates, it’s no wonder they’re out of sorts. Going outside doesn’t have to mean an epic trip to the local playground or park, just put the shoes on and head out your front door. Go looking for treasure! You never know what you might find. Fresh air and exercise is good for everyone and should help your little one to sleep better that night too.
2. Have A ‘Date’ Together
Jacob has a younger sister, Eva, who is almost two and who I know he is jealous of from time to time because of all the attention she gets. So from time to time, he and I just head off together, with no dad, no Eva and no dog Pearl. He gets to choose what he wants to do and it’s our chance to catch up, just the two of us. It really makes him feel special so it’s worth doing.
3. Put The iPad Away
I know, iPads and TVs and games on smart phones are all handy ways of distracting our kids for a while when we need some space to get something done. But I have discovered that my son gets all sorts of grumpy if he’s been exposed to screen time for too long. He can have one particular outburst and I know it’s time to reign it in. There’s probably a toy or two that they haven’t played with in ages so re-introduce that and get them using their imaginations instead. WAY better for their mood.
4. Have A Splash
Bringing the kids swimming can be a bit of a challenge, and you should try to bring an extra pair of hands if you’re taking more than one kid. But there is something about splashing about at a pool or waterpark that makes kids just sooo happy, that it’s really worth the effort in the end (promise!)
5. Make Time For Chats
My son doesn’t always want to talk to me when I’m prying for information if he’s in bad form, and am often told to ‘stop talking!’ But then there are times when he does really want to tell me everything – I find that last thing at night and first thing in the morning are his Top Chatty Moments. So I try to capitalise on that and make sure to answer all his little questions or worries. Sometimes they might just be in relation to which Transformer is the best, and that’s ok by me!
What do you do to cheer your child up if they need it? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
