Kids are the most adorable creatures, they are happiness in a bundle, they are the pride and joy of every mom, they are sweet and cute and everything, but, that is when they are quiet and obedient of course!
Unfortunately, these bundles of joy were set by default to get what they want, mostly through crying and shrieking to a decibel level that sometimes exceeds the tolerance of the human ear. How do they know that crying will force their moms to do anything to escape those tantrums? I don’t know! But it seems that it is in their genetic make-up, a worldwide characteristic in all kids that starts at the age of two, and if you’re lucky, it will end up by four.
Tantrums arise when a kid wants something and is determined to have his way or when a kid wants something and cannot express his/her needs, sometimes a kid will fall into a tantrum because he/she is bored or too tired and cannot fall asleep, it could also result when a kid needs attention! Whatever the reason is, the mom has to stay calm, because having two shrieking voices (one of them an adult) is not a very nice sight. Moms feel helpless when their kids fall into a tantrum fit, it’s noisy, nerve wrecking and very frustrating for both the mom and child. Child psychologists will say that we have to determine the cause and talk to the kid after he/she has calmed down and above all, a mom has to stay calm to avoid escalation of the tantrum into a physical problem because sometimes kids get carried away that they jump or move violently and get themselves injured or cry too hard that they turn red or choke or throw up!
Yes, it’s quite logical to do all of the above, but come on! How would a mom stay calm when there is a blaring siren in the vicinity? And how many times can she take it before she herself breaks into a crying frenzy? The answer is escape!
Escape by indulging your five senses:
The sight: it’s known that the colors blue and green are very relaxing, so if you have a sea view or a garden at home it would be relaxing to escape into the soothing colors of nature, but for those who are not fortunate enough and are boxed in a city apartment, you can look at photos online and try to relax as you picture yourself on an island or a meadow. You can also look at your honeymoon photos and remember the sweet era prior to having squeals around. A movie could help too, watch your favorite movie or go watch a new one at a nearby cinema.
The Sound: Surf the Internet for yoga music that helps the body relax and if you listen to it with the lights out you will focus only on your breathing and feel calm in a few minutes. You can listen to old songs that were linked to happy memories or listen to newly released songs and dance to the beat.
The Smell: oils used in aromatherapy help calm and relax; lemon grass, Ylang Ylang, orange and of course lavender are the most relaxing scents. If a nearby spa is available then go pamper yourself with a massage, if not, then dab a little oil on your neck, rub a little on your forehead or just sniff it for an instant soothing effect.
The Touch: Besides the obvious, escaping through touch doesn’t necessarily mean massage or being physically close to someone (although I have to admit, they work amazingly!) but it could also be doing something like handy crafts: stringing beads, needle work, pottery or gardening, touching something with your own hands will make you focus on what you are doing and forget totally the cause of stress.
The Taste: hello! Chocolate of course, be it a sinful chocolate cake with heavy chocolate frosting on top, a chocolate brownie with a dollop of your favorite ice-cream, creamy chocolate mousse or a rich cup of hot chocolate. Chocolate does the trick by giving you a happy feeling. There are other comfort food that could help like soups, finger food, pudding, ice-cream. You could also cook a meal that is linked to a happy memory like the ones your mom used to cook when you were little or replicate something you tasted during your honeymoon. And of course, there is going out to your favorite restaurant all dressed up and ordering whatever you like, it’s all about you and you definitely earned it!
Just escape for a while to tolerate yet another tantrum!!