Children, like adults have good days and bad days and their moods go up and down. As a parent my way of dealing with these moods is to listen if they want to talk, give them some space if they don’t want but above all be flexible.

Today was one of those days. Both my big girls were tired and grumpy.

Poppy had been on a School trip to her School’s outdoors classroom. She had enjoyed a lovely day but being out in the fresh air all day had worn her out. She had fed horses, swung on a tyre and been on a really long walk as well as scooting to school and back. Rosie had cycled to school and back twice and hadn’t napped.

Poppy’s legs ached, she was exhausted, tired and miserable. I tried all my usual tricks to make her smile but she was going down hill quickly and getting tearful at the dinner table. Rosie was just irritable. Now usually I would chuck them both out in the garden for some fresh air until bath time to perk them up but that wasn’t what Poppy needed this evening.

Instead I took Poppy for a shower and washed her hair, helped her get into a nightie and wrapped her in a cosy dressing gown. I then did the same for Rosie before making them a bed on the sofa with some warm milk and biscuits. At this point it was ridiculously early, only 5.30pm. We put Cars 2 on and snuggled up under a soft fleecy blanket whilst Daddy sorted Daisy out:

 

 

They never made it to the end as they were too tired but it cheered them up. Then at 6.30pm they wanted to go up for stories and bed, half hour earlier than usual. Not quite our usual evening but tears avoided and two calmer, happier children.

Even in this very routined house there’s always room for some flexability and there’s definitley, always time for cuddles.

Karen x