Surviving bad mornings with a baby

[Terrilein]

Hi ladies! I woke up with a nasty headache this morning. Barely managed to get my dd out the door to school. I took an ibuprofren - it's finally kicking in - and wanted to settle into a daze with a coffee in my hand except . . . . Fritz wouldn't stop fussing. It must be some developmental phase. It started last night with fussing no matter what I do resulting in one seriously angry mama and one furious baby by the end of the day. So this morning he's fussing again and my head HURTS. Normally he won't play by himself at all, but I plopped him on the living room floor - the only half-way babyproofed room - and turned on the TV. Worked like a charm. But this isn't a solution I want to be using every day.  I need a shower badly. Normally, I'd take him with me, but he fusses the entire time and I can't use that right now. Guess I'll try sneaking off, but I'm still worried something could happen.

What do you ladies do when you're struggling through your morning?

[P.J.]

Get out of the house and go meet another mama and baby at the family cafe

Really though, I do find getting out asap on those kind of days helps a LOT. It distracts us, gives us something to do, clears the air.

Yesterday morning I was getting into that space where I was getting really annoyed at how much Max needed me (also going through a clingy whiny won't-play-alone phase). Somehow I was able to see that I just needed to surrender, that I was not going to be able to get anything done in the house or anything I wanted (like knit, read or go online), and I had to just go with the flow. I just let all of my ideas of what I wanted go and got down there on the floor and played with him. His mood also improved and he actually got a little less clingy, I think because he saw I was there and he didn't need to fuss to get my attention.

Some days it doesn't go that easily though and the anger and frustration are too strong. I have, on several occasions, left the room (even if Max is crying) and gone into the next room and screamed into a pillow. It does help in the most desperate of moments, I have to say.

Hang in there! See you soon!

[elisheva]

I've had two super-whiny toddlers the past two weeks who are both cutting teeth. For the teething I give them a pain-reliever but I also have found that alternately wearing them on my back has been very helpful. After  some really close time, they are more ready to be independent for a little while. Also, my preschool-age child decided he wanted a turn in the wrap, too (I was working in the kitchen) and they all hung out and played while they waited for their turns...irrelevant to you, but I'm sharing as the "getting a turn on mom's back" really seemed to turn our day around.

ITA with PP - getting out of the house is also a must - even for a walk or to the park or to the store. I feel closer to my kids when we're out for some reason - I'm lately a little too stuck in my own head when I'm at home (lots of family stress here right now) and the kids sense the disconnection and try to reconnect by clinging and whining...when we're out, I'm able to more easily focus on them and we generally all have a pleasant time (assuming we're not in a rush).

[expat-mama]

I've had a few mornings like this... mostly because DS was up every 20 minutes all.night.long. He isn't tired in the least and wants to play and jump on mama of course and I feel bad that I'm so tired and grumpy.

I usually lay in bed and let him roll around in bed with me and and some toys for as long he will put up with that. Sometimes I'll go lay on the floor in the living room. Sometimes I will put him in his jumpy thing (jumperoo, jolly jumper, whatever it's called), put on some music he likes and lay on the couch and cheer him on.

If I have the energy I pop him in his stroller and off we go for a looong walk. It calms me and him.