After a long day at work, you want to get home and enjoy the company of your family. But when you’re greeted with tears, tantrums and grumpiness your dreams of a peaceful evening go out the window. Dominika Tracy, from Back to Roots Baby a website debunking motherhood rules and restoring sanity to common baby wisdom, isn’t surprised that little ones make the evenings a time for temper tantrums.
But here’s the good news! With these clever strategies you can help put an end to your family’s tantrum orientated evenings.
Write a Meal Plan
Setting aside a chunk of time to organise a weekly meal plan may sound like a very tedious prospect. But in the long-run it can save you a lot of stress and time. You will only need to do one shop to get ingredients and you won’t spend time fretting over what on earth you should cook each evening. If disaster strikes and your little one out right refuses to try what’s on their plate – don’t panic. Lots of children go through a ‘fussy eating phase’. Try to make sure that you set a good example by eating a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable. Experiment with fresh fruit or carrot sticks as a starter or finger food before the main course.
Be Realistic
Maybe you’ve bought a new book and planned story-time when you get home, but your toddler just won’t sit still. Unfortunately, you’ll just make things worse if you plough ahead with your plan. Toddlers can become aggravated by the evening, tired from the day’s adventures. Let your child take the lead as you spend time with them. If this means they go straight to the TV set a screen-time limit and stick to it.
Keep it Routine
Routines help children to know what to expect. You could spend the first 20 minutes every evening cuddling with a snack and a book, then set up some drawing or crafts whilst you make dinner. Or, if they’re old enough to have homework, designate a time for it so it doesn’t become a daily battle. Whatever your plan, keep it as consistent as possible.
Have a Helping Hand at Dinnertime
If you still need help with the dinnertime rush, why not ask your nanny for help? Your nanny could do prep work, like chopping vegetables or even make an entire meal that can be heated up later. Make sure you negotiate these duties with them if they weren’t part of their original job description.
Work as a Team
When a discipline plan does have to come into play, it’s important that your family work together. Dominika suggests, “Form a unified front against temper tantrums. Make sure you agree a method of dealing with misbehaviour and stick to it. Try to provide your child with the feeling of security and stability and their anger and anxiety will soon be forgotten.”
Exercise
If stress runs high in your household at this time of day, exercise may be the answer. “Families should play outdoors whenever possible” says Dominika. “Take parents, a child and a ball and you have hours of fun ahead!” Need some inside activities when the weather’s bad? Have a treasure hunt or make wooden block forts. If dinner needs to be made, trade duties with your partner every few days so you both get some exercise and active play with the children.
