How To Be A Calmer Mom With A Toddler
Now would I like to start this post off by saying that I am no expert on how to be a calmer mom with a
Toddlers are an absolute handful and I’m sure my toddler moms know exactly what I am talking about.
My daughter is currently 18 months and she can be complete chaos in a size 4 toddler shoe.
Toddlers are at a very unique stage in life where they are walking, talking, and can do some things on their own. But they still require a lot of attention and they can’t quite verbalize everything they are trying to say.
This can make it tough because they may know what they want, but they may not know how to say it.
The other issue that arises is the boundaries that you are trying to establish and they don’t agree with them. If your toddler is anything like mine, they are constantly testing and pushing the limits that you have.
Toddlers will be toddlers, but as moms, we have to try to be a more calm in order for us to be a better mom to our toddlers.
If you are interested in being a more relaxed parent, then check out these tips that I use on how to be a calmer mom with a toddler.
*This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through links in this post. Please check out our Disclaimer Policy for more details.
How To Help Your Child Having A Meltdown
Before I get into my tips on how I am calmer mom with my daughter, let’s first discuss how to help your child when they are experiencing a meltdown. Because let’s face it, it is going to happen.
As I said earlier, I’m not an expert on how to be a calmer mom, but I can definitely point you in the right direction.
This is where Danielle Murphy Faris comes in.
She is a Parent-Child Coach and Infant Advocate with nearly two decades of experience in child wellness and also the creator of the HAP Method.
She has worked with dozens of families experiencing meltdowns and power struggles through positive parenting techniques which is the same parenting style I utilize as well.
Danielle created a course called the 3 Minute Meltdown Miracle that is perfect for parents who are interested in getting started in their positive parenting journey and are committed to managing their child’s meltdowns in a more efficient and effective manner.
And of course, I wouldn’t be recommending this course to you if I wasn’t already doing this myself or had tested out this method.
This course provides all the tools you need to navigate those awful meltdowns….in 3 minutes. Yes. 3 minutes.
The information that she is providing normally worth $197, but guess what?
She is lowering the price to $27!
Yes! You saw that right! $27!
Toddler meltdowns are normal and they are going to happen, but by utilizing this method and the techniques it provides, your days can start to look a little brighter.
How To Be A Calmer Mom With a Toddler
Now that we have discussed how to help your child during meltdowns, let’s get into some tips on how I try to be preventative and be a calmer mom with my toddler throughout the day.
Lower Your Expectations
This is the first piece of advice I want to offer any mom who has a child entering toddlerhood.
When dealing with a toddler, I have had to learn to lower my expectations.
You honestly have to do this in general when you have a kid. There are so many things we expect and want to happen with how our toddlers behave. But, the reality is that toddlers are unpredictable.
Give yourself some grace and allow your toddler to be just that. A toddler.
We should set boundaries and make rules that keep them safe.
We should also stick to what we say and stand firm when addressing it. But the last thing I need to be constantly worrying about is why my toddler won’t do what she is told and why can’t my toddler be good in public all of the time.
Be Prepared
Most of us thrive off of a schedule.
This applies to toddlers as well. As unpredictable toddlers can be, there are noticeable patterns in their behavior such as when they start to get hungry or cranky when they are tired.
This will allow you to create a schedule and routine to have them
For example, when I leave the house and know that I will be gone during a time that my daughter normally eats, I make sure to have snacks packed up to curve any hunger. Snacks are good to have packed at all times.
My daughter loves all the snacks by Gerber. When she is teething, those organic
They also have these baked Lil Crunchies that my daughter still loves to snack on and great to have on hand when she starts getting fussy.
You also want to be prepared as it starts getting closer to their naptime.
Be aware of the times that they are likely to get sleepy and attempt to be home or somewhere where they can unwind to get some rest.
Sleepy toddlers are the more likely to act up so in order to avoid those meltdowns, make sure you block out a time of day for rest and quiet.
Take Breaks & Get Rest
As perfect as the day may be going, toddlers are likely to act up at least once during the day.
These moments will leave you likely feeling overwhelmed and burned out. If you have dedicated times during the day for quiet time or nap time, use those moments for you to unwind as well.
As always, I advocate for taking naps during the day when they are napping if you need them. Most only think this applies when they are babies, but this can definitely be done with toddlers as well.
And when they go down at night, make sure you get some sleep as well to ensure you are rested for the following day.
Apologize When You Are Wrong
I know I am not the only one guilty of overreacting or yelling at my daughter for wanting to play when I just don’t feel like it.
We have all been there. Just because we are tired or concentrating on something else doesn’t mean that our kids deserved to be yelled at and be the recipient of our emotions.
I have done this countless times and I feel so guilty afterward every single time.
My daughter just wants her mom to play with her and here I am acting like I don’t want to be bothered.
If you catch yourself doing this too, apologize when you know you are in the wrong. Not only will you be able to forgive yourself, but you are also
House Chores Can Wait
There is nothing worse than picking up every toy your kid takes out only for them to take them all out again. Or the never-ending laundry that keeps piling up.
I still don’t understand how a little human can have so much laundry?
Keeping your clean home every second of the day with a toddler is just impossible. There is no way that it is going to happen.
What I do is just wait until the end of the day to do a full tidy-up.
I pick up and put away all of her toys, fold a load of laundry, and wash/load up the dishes. This has led me to feel so much calmer because by waiting until the end of the day to tidy up, I start each day fresh.
Me-Time
Lastly, in order to be a calmer mom and ultimately a better mom, you have got to carve out some time to unplug from being a mom.
You can’t completely unplug from being a mom, but you are more than just mom. Engage in some activities that you love and that refill your tank.
For myself, I love to read a good book, take a long uninterrupted shower, or work on my blog. If you are looking for some self-care ideas that will help you unwind and relax, check out this blog post below.
- Read More: Self-Care Ideas For Stay At Home Moms
Your Turn
Well that’s it everyone! These tips have been helpful in how to be a calmer mom to my daughter and I hope they
If you have any tips on how to be a calmer mom that you want to add to this list, leave them in the comments below. We all could benefit from this, so feel free to share! And while you are still here, check out my previous post here below. Until next time!
- Read More: Recover From These 5 Symptoms of Burnout
Love,
Just Jass
34 Comments
Emma - Science in Style
I am not yet a mom but I have already forwarded this to my sister in law since her stress level since isolation has gone through the roof!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Please do! It ain’t easy being a toddler mom! Glad that you were able to share this with a fellow momma!
Hazel
I love these tips. They’ll definitely come in handy in the future.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you! I’m glad that you enjoyed these tips!
Jaya Avendel
I love your tip on letting the house chores wait; something there is more joy in sitting down a playing with your little one then there is in getting the laundry done. 🙂
Jasmyn Wilkins
I completely agree. It is much harder trying to do it while they are constantly bugging you to play so you might as well wait! Glad you enjoyed this post!
Karlee
Great tips! We say sorry alot in my house, I’m thankful to have a toddler that can communicate well, and sometimes when he can’t articulate quite what is wrong we have a talk about his feelings and how he is feeling in the moment. It has helped so much!
Jasmyn Wilkins
I absolutely love that! I want to incorporate that with my daughter when she starts articulating better! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Jenisha
Being mom is a great responsibility. I totally agree. I am too young yet this will come in handy one day. Thank you for sharing.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Being a mom is a great responsibility, but it is also extremely enjoyable! I’m glad that you enjoyed this post and hopes this comes in handy the day you become a mom!
Karin
Oh wow! Needed this right now! It’s a struggle! Thanks!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Your welcome! Glad this helped!
Chinyere
I totally love all your suggestions
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this post!
Maya
Such a helpful post! I’m dealing with a 16 month old and I feel you! We have good days and bad but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Jasmyn Wilkins
I couldn’t agree more with your last statement! I’m glad that this post found you and that you enjoyed it!
Lisa Jones
I definitely needed this today! My toddler has been a nightmare recently. I expect it’s due to lockdown where I am and our routine going out of the window. Will definitely be taking away some of these tips. Thanks so much!
Jasmyn Wilkins
You are very welcome! I definitely think the lockdown is having an effect on all of us and causing us to go a little stir crazy! I’m glad you enjoyed these tips!
Amanda
I am not yet at the toddler stage but I feel like I need to prepare already! Thank you so much for the tips.
Jasmyn Wilkins
You are very welcome! I hope this post finds you again when that toddler stage does arrive! I’m glad you enjoyed these tips!
Erin
I just had to apologize today to my child. I think it is very important to model the same behavior we are expecting.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Apologizing to your child when you are wrong is so powerful and a great thing to model to your child! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Shelley Whittaker
These are great tips and I whole heartedly agree with them. I have a 3 year old and she has moved out of the tantrums phase and more into the attitude phase. Everything is ‘no’ right now and she will almost do nothing we tell her to. She is driving us a bit wild – eeeeek! But when she is good, she is an absolute delight to be around 🙂
Jasmyn Wilkins
My little one is definitely in the tantrum-throwing phase right now and it is driving us up the wall! She is also saying no a bit too, so it will be interesting to see how her little personality manifests even more as she develops her verbal skills! They are angels when they want to be though 🙂 Glad that you enjoyed this post!
Jaime Ragsdale
Great reminders! We can get wound up so tight in the moment, but these tools are so helpful in remaining calm and remembering the big picture. Thanks for sharing. <3 Jaime from AltogetherMostly.com
Jasmyn Wilkins
You are absolutely right and it does help when we try to focus on the bigger picture! Glad you enjoyed this post!
Cassandra
Great advice! I have to make an effort to stay calm with my toddler lately, she is a handful!
Jasmyn Wilkins
You are not alone! This can be tough to do with a toddle because they are a handful but with a little patience and preparation, we can do this!
Rachel
These days it seems like my toddler is having one meltdown after another! It can get frustrating, so I can’t wait to implement these tips!
Jasmyn Heard
These times can be trying! I hope these tips can help and you find them useful!
Jennie
This is an excellent article. Thank you for sharing all these great tips.
Jasmyn Heard
Your very welcome! Glad that you enjoyed these tips!
Katherine
Apologizing is such a huge one! And so many moms dont think it’s needed. Kids need to learn that, and who better to teach them than mom. And let’s be honest, everyone makes mistakes…and kids need to know moms are not perfect either. They understand that stuff, even if they’re little. And it really help when they throw new twists at you daily!
Jasmyn Heard
I completely agree! We all make mistakes and what person to show our children how to be accountable and apologetic than us. Glad that you enjoyed this post!