4 Easy Steps To Better Days With Your Toddler

mother and daughter on grass

I’ve been coming back from work exhausted lately. I just want to sit in a chair for a while. Of course whenever I sit down my sweet 21 month old thinks, “well obviously it’s time to read a book” and proceeds to demand a reading session…that I’m not ready for.

I think that between the waking up in the middle of the night, the tiredness that ensues from that, and the guilt of realizing that I’m only getting about 3 hours a day to spend anytime with my little ball of energy, I’ve mostly been exhausted.

tired mother with black boy
Photo by Keira Burton on Pexels.com

I don’t like this feeling. I want to consciously choose to be more patient and more present. More ontop of things. More adult. So these are goals that I want to commit to this week to see if it helps me…

Way #1: Do it tired

Don’t sit down until it’s all done. I need to add more fun into our evening routine so that it can get done in one swoop! Then we can have bath time and settle into bed with some books. 

In order to do this, I need to go back to my list of things that I feel are most important. With the firmness of their importance in mind, I need to commit to do them.

Hopefully adding some fun in the evening routine will help me snap out of what feels like an uninspiring rut sometimes.

Way #2: Make An evening routine

I think I’ve left what I had before slide…life with a toddler can get a little hectic. But, maybe it’s because sometimes I loose my cool and I don’t stay on top of things. It’s useful to note that things change quickly from month to month with little ones…

But, I can’t let things slide. I need to stick to the routine. And keep on tweaking it. The only way to do this is to come up with a routine that’s actually doable. One that is practical. Feasible and rewarding.

way #3: Look forward your evening routine

Sometimes my little girl gets into a mood. A bad mood. She’s whining and crying in the car after daycare and I just can’t even think! Unfortunately, I’m not really someone that can tune out a crying child. 

Especially on days like this,  I will take my time to talk to her about the fun that we’re going to have as soon as we get home. Hopefully this will be the start of both of us loving our evening routine so it can truly be rewarding.

Way #4: Keep the future in mind

I’m laughing at myself because sometimes I make goals that are just not feasible at all. I told myself I would do all my housework during the weekdays so that weekends would be for relaxation. I haven’t been good about that…

Let’s just say lately, I’ve been getting quite comfortable in a dirtier house. It’s relatively tidy in my defense – but unfortunately it’s not as clean as it could probably be.

This week I’m going to renew my commitment to cleaning on the weekdays so I can fully enjoy my weekend. I’ll set a 15 minute timer and stop as soon as it goes off, Flylady style!

What are some healthy habits and routines that have been helped you conquer your week? Please share in a comment!