Anyone got any tips on how to cope with stressful situaitons in family life?

[gemitygem]

Have got four dc 5 and under, I am at home on my own with them all week, dh works away only home 2 nights a week.

Some times it is so hard and I get up feeling so stress and loosing my rag with them. Even shouted at the baby this morning as he wouldn't stop crying and I couldn't pick him up as had to get everyone dressed for the school run.
I love them all so much and I would say I loose my temper with one of them once every couple of weeks but I feel like it is getting more frequent and makes me feel so bad.
See my mum and dad once a fortnight ish, which is a help, but stressful in its self as everyone seems to go mad when nanny and grandad here, and they would never tell any of them off if they are naughty they get away with anything with nanny and grandad. Got no other help from any friends of anything.
I just wondered how other people deal with stress, am so worried that me getting cross will effect the children.
Sometimes I feel like I need to be superhuman and never loose it, because when I do it really upsets me and makes me feel even more stressed!!!

Remember, you are only human, so will feel stressed.
Not much advice i am afraid, but if mornings are your worst time, try and get as much sorted the night before.
Summer is coming, so hopefully will make things more bearable.
Be kind to yourself. :)

Sympathy+++ That sounds tough. We have been struggling a bit this winter and what has really helped is exercise. Sounds mad, when you're knackered (and I am), but really helps with the stress. Options obviously limited as you are home alone most of the time (as I am; DH technically home 3 nights a week, but not till 930 or later), but go out for a brisk walk/ run even for 20 mins on evenings when DH is home and when he's not, then 20 mins with an exercise DVD, or just yoga or something from a book (I feel very silly prancing around on kitchen floor doing press ups and pretending to skip (no skipping rope, nor room for one) but I have more energy and am doing less shouting. Also, count to 10, every time you are going to lose it. And accept that children are infuriating (and utterly lovable, try and remind yourself of the lovable times) so you are going to lose it sometimes
And time for you, somehow... Can you go to a family centre with creche for half an hour a week, so that even if it's only chatting to other parents, you get to do it without the constant demands?
And let your standards slip? DC will not remember if the house was always tidy/ they had beans on toast 3 nights running in 5 years time, but they will have a stock of happy memories of all the time their mother spent with them.

Gemitygem, you are being superhuman already! You're managing the impossible already! four children is a darn good feat that most of us can't get to. Good on you.
I've no real advice to help, you're better at this then me anyway. All I can say is that to deal with my 2 plus the 4 childmind lovelies, I have to think ahead - do the lunches (sandwiches into the freezer, snacks into little boxes) on a sunday and then just add the fruit etc.

I've now got myself into a routine re going out and all that jazz. But bottom line is that meeting adults helps, do you have it worked into your week? Even library rhyme time helps - or please meet some mums netters.. You're doing great already.x

I have only 2 children, but travelled frequently with work when they were little, and used to get major stressed trying to juggle it all. When I'm stressed, I shout. Guaranteed.
All I can tell you, it gets SO much easier once they are even a little older. And then they will turn into teenagers, and I guess it all starts over again. (DD1 is nine, so that second part is speculation, thought I am getting a glimpse of it already..)

God guys, thank you so much for your replies, do you know I could almost cry with the releif that others sometimes feel like I do too.
I have major hangups that me losing control from time to time will psycologically damage my children.

I get out to meet others adults as I run the toddler group in the village and meet up with a friend once a week while two of them are out at school and nursery, agree with Steph this helps. But was struggling this week as other people's babies are sleeping through the night and I am still up in the night with my youngest. Think that is why I had such a tough morning yesterday as felt ds should be sleeping through, I even slept down on the sofa as thought I might me waking him, but no, got an even worse night sleep and was still up to him.

This morning has been lovely as all the others are at nursery and I have spent time making him laugh and feel that is what matters, not him sleeping. I don't mind getting up to him in the night, all of mine seem to get there in the end they just take about a year longer than others!!! Its more people opinions that get me upset I suppose.
Anyway, thanks again, I love that comment from Mollymax, be kind to yourself, going to focus on what I am doing right rather than worrying!

Im just so jealous of you gemitygem!

I only have 2, aged nearly 4 and 16 months, both sleep well and I loose it much more than once a fortnight.

I hate it too but it is hard not to get stressed with LO's.

You were meant to have 4 kids with that much patience, you sound lovely .