#Mumfail day? Here are some instant lift-me-ups

We’ve all been there. You were up all night with a crying newborn and then the toddler wouldn’t put his shoes on in the morning. After an exhausting day of juggling and getting nowhere, you’ve just burned the dinner, there’s a stack of ironing left untouched and your partner comes in after work and breezily asks what you’ve done today. Between all the snarling, snapping and tears (mostly yours!) everyone is miserable and you can’t help wondering how life will move on from this.

So far, so familiar?

Ok so every day can’t be a great one. You can’t be supermum all the time and sometimes a #mumfailday has to be taken on the chin. But there are some ways to get through the pain and move on to a better day.

1. Take a breath: Sounds cliched? Well, maybe, but rather than shout and holler at the kids, partner, mother-in-law or whoever it is who has said the wrong thing at the wrong time, breathe, count to 10, go for a walk or step outside the front or back door, whatever it takes to calm down. Sometimes, the moment passes. Not every battle needs to be fought.
2. Talk it out: Text, call or visit a friend. Chances are they’ve been in a similar frame of mind at some point. Your day won’t seem half as bad if you share it with someone who ‘gets it’.
3. Think positive thoughts: Ok, so not always easy after a bad day but if you focus on tomorrow being a better one, it may not seem so overwhelming. And if the kids feel like hard work, look at their baby photos - you can’t stay mad for long looking at that cute smile!
4. Treat yourself: Rather than dwell on what’s past, have a relaxing bubble bath, a glass of your favourite tipple or a TV dinner. 
5. Write down what’s bothering you: When you see it all in black and white, you may have a clearer picture of (a) what the problem is and (b) what steps you can take to tackle it.
6. Stop judging yourself so harshly: So you think you’ve ‘failed’. Well, you haven’t. You’ve had a moment, a bad one, and now it’s over. Blame the lack of sleep, lack of support, lack of routine - but don’t beat yourself up about being a ‘bad’ mother just because you can’t be a perfect one. Nobody is by the way!