Dear Mom,

If you asked my toddler, today we were having a terrible, rotten, no-good, very bad day!

After having a sweet and quiet morning of snuggling and reading stories we did a complete 180 and we were having a lot of really big feelings for any reason (and no reason) at all. One of the big things that I’ve noticed gets her upset recently has been when the baby is upset – any cry or scream is matched with a toddler sized cry or scream, forgetting our gentle hands, or maybe even a full on meltdown.

So here I am, with a crying baby and toddler tornado – setting one down to comfort the other, the other starting back up again because I’ve set her down, on and on and you know the drill. I’m trying to be this *beacon of emotional regulation* but I’m reaching a point where I’m ready to lose my cool too. I know so many of you are reading this and nodding your heads to say “been there, done that”.

So, here is my biggest advice:

GET OUT! It doesn’t have to be fancy – just step out the front door. If you can manage it, get to the park or field or somewhere they can run around. Even if it’s cold or raining, put on those rain boots. I can’t tell you the number of times we sat on the front step or walked around the driveway wrapped in a blanket while we calmed down.

GET WET! Have you ever seen a kid sad as they ran through a sprinkler in the yard? The splash pad or pool? If yours are anything like mine, the bathtub is always a winner (even without bubbles or toys or any extras) or let them join you for a warm shower. If those options aren’t accessible to you in the moment, even running warm water and getting to hold it in our hands and put a warm wash cloth on our faces has helped in a pinch!

Today when I thought I was just about the end of my rope all before 10am, we packed up and went to the park..and honestly the girls hated every minute of the car ride. BUT we got there, the baby was able to take a nap against my chest in the carrier while we walked around the trail until we got to this little pond we like. We threw rocks and sticks and leaves into the water and made a “big splash”. I watched all of her frustrations melt in front of my eyes, and before I knew it, all of my tension had faded away too. We sat on the swings together and were able to reconnect. Honestly, I think I got just as much out of it, if not more, than they did.

So, there’s the hot tip that we all know but seem to forget in the moment: a little fresh air and being by the water does a body good – baby, toddler, and adults alike.