In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
The past few weeks, we’ve been doing some deep diving…so today, I wanted to take a little bit of a lighter note. As women of our home, we really tend to set the tone of our home. We are, of course, not the only influence and we can’t control the other people in our home – not even our children. But, we often play a big role in creating and cultivating the home environment – including setting the mood.
That said, we all have tough days. Those days that started in the middle of the night with your toddler waking up seven times in the span of three hours, wanting a drink, a snack and thinking that it’s time to get up and play. The days that you have to be out the door by a certain time and everyone wakes up late, on the wrong side of the bed. Those days where the children seem to be in endless meltdown mode, you’ve yelled more than you’d like to and the television has been on all day. And of course everything in between. The gist, everyone has bad days on occasion.
Hopefully it’s far and few in between because we are being intentional with setting up the environment in our home to provide spaces of calm and comfort, we are setting up systems that work for us and our family for those regularly occurring tasks and we’re doing the work necessary to be in a space of responding rather than reacting… but none-the-less, “mama said there’d be days like this” and she was telling the truth.
So today, we’re going to talk about some simple ideas that will help us end our days on a positive note, even when nothing seems to be working out and everyone has been in a funky mood. We’re talking super simple – like 15 minutes or less, things you can do between dinner and getting your bedtime routine going, no special equipment needed, any day of the week kind of things.
1. Cuddle up and read a book.
r you and your children’s love language is physical touch or quality time, this might be the one for you. Everyone gathers on the living room floor, the couch or maybe someone’s bed. Choose a family favorite or a book that’s sure to bring out the giggles…and read aloud as a family. Quiet, simple, and relaxing. It’s a great way to wind down, connect as a family, fuel up that love tank…and a great way to incorporate more reading time.
2. Have a dance party.
This one is a little more rambunctious but… physical movement is a great way to get the grumpies out and silly dancing is a sure way to turn that frown upside down. Turn on some nasheeds and let loose. A great way to loosen up, get that stress moving along and get that energy out in time for bed.
3. Have some tea.
Tea, hot cocoa, lemonade.. Whatever works for you and your family. We’re not focused on the details here. It doesn’t have to be fancy or extravagant. We’re aiming for connection and something that will shift the mood. Gathering together, chatting, and intentionally changing the energy in your home and between each of you as a family.
4. Get outside for a couple minutes.
You can never really go wrong with getting outside. The fresh air, the sunlight if it’s still out, all of it… it’s very helpful in getting out of a funk. Maybe take a walk, perhaps take that tea party out in the backyard, or even just go sit on the stairs for five minutes. Again, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy or specific. There are so many options for quick, simple outdoor fun…but ultimately your goal is some fresh air and embracing nature for a moment.
5. Take a moment of gratitude.
When we get in a bad mood and especially when it feels like the whole day has been sour, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s gone wrong. So take a moment, as a family, and get centered. Take turns sharing something good that’s happened today. You could share something you’re grateful for from that day, that week or maybe, even something that you’re grateful for or love about the person to your right. Changing your focus from what’s going wrong to what’s wonderful can be a powerful way to help everyone reconnect and get back to a space of calm and happiness.
That’s it for today. There are lot’s more options, of course, for ending a rough day with a smile. These are some really simple ideas to get you started. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and just ready for the day to end when everyone seems to be in a bad mood…but it doesn’t have to be that way.
As Muslims, we are taught that it doesn’t always matter how a thing begins…but rather how it ends. We can definitely end a rough day with smiles and laughter. We can take our family from yelling and throwing tantrums to a tea party with gratitude before bedtime. I hope today is a great day for you and your family…and I’d love to know some of your super simple ideas for ending a bad day on a good note.
Question for the comments: Have you tried any of these ideas? Did it work? What are some other things that have worked for you and your family?
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