Best parenting mantras please!

[pjsgalore]

My littlies are driving me NUTS at the moment and I keep finding myself shouting and being impatient. I need some mantras to help me see the funny side/calm down - even if they're really, obvious, cliched, lame. You know - the 'this too will pass' type of thing!!

Mine is 'pick your battles'. Dc want to watch 50th peppa pig in a row? If it will give me 5 extra minutes to see to baby / clean something/ make a phone call/ pick my nose etc etc, let them watch it. You get my drift.

I keep telling myself at the moment "just make the next thing to come out of your mouth kind", because I find if I start with an annoyed or shouty comment when something goes wrong I kind of work myself up into a ranty mess. If I step back and find something kind to say I can often deliver discipline message much more effectively and avoid more tears and tantrums on both sides.

maryAnn I came on here to say 'pick your battles' too.

A glass of wine makes everything seem better.

thank you so much girls - all very good and very calming!

oif - ranty mess - totally what I get like at the moment! I don't understand it because I'm usually quite a relaxed type of person. Must be better!!

thank goodness for wine!

Tomorrow's another day.

I'm marking my place because I have a book on it but it's 1a.m. here and I have to sleep now :o be back later!

This too will pass.

I still use it now and dds are young adults.

It's great when things are difficult as you can reassure yourself that things won't be as bad in a day/week/months time.

Another one for picking your battles, oh and count to ten, one day they will be grown up And off into the world. You only get the little years once

Look at it from their point of view, how do you like it when someone tries to drag you away from what you are doing to do something boring instead.

Make the most of them, one day they will leave home and you'll miss the mess and noise.

I repeat to myself "I'm the adult, she's the child"... Helps me behave reasonably and not throw my own tantrums....

Sort it out before bedtime - I never put my kids to bed without us making up after arguments/disagreements. I couldn't get to sleep if I felt upset/cross and neither can they.

Leave it in the past - following on from the bedtime one, I don't bring up issues from the day before.

Notice the good - it's easy to get sucked into telling them off and just expect the good behaviour. I try to ignore/distract the low level bickering/squabbling etc, and look out for the times when they are behaving well, and mention it "good sharing ds1" etc.

I don't need to have the last word - I'm the adult and my decision stands, even when they say "no I'm not".

These are brilliant - thank you so much!

"Little children, little problems". I found this really patronising when someone said this to me a few years ago, but since have found it very useful :-)

I try and see things from a 4 / 2 year old point of view and give logic why and defo pick your battles... Is the ridiculous outfit really a big deal? I also cut deals .. You can be Spider-Man all day but not when we go to the pub for tea

"the days may be long, but the years are short"