Resetting a Hard Day
Ways to reset when the day goes awry
Relationship always trumps academics in our home. And when we have “those days”, the days where attitudes or struggles or illness or fatigue invite themselves in to cause chaos and disorder, I rely on my skills as a caregiver to soften the atmosphere.
We deal with learning challenges, overexcitability, chronic illness/pain, and the attitudes and anxieties that are just part of being humans in a fallen world. I don’t write about them often, but we do have our own set of trials here, so please never think it’s sunshine and roses all the time 😊
When a day goes sideways for whatever reason these are things that I do to reset our attitudes or to move us forward in a gentle way:
🥧 I bake something nice and we settle in for a read-aloud or audiobook.
Tea time over the course of 20 minutes with a lit candle and a small snack can reset a bad moment, allow a respite and regroup, and then everyone goes back to work with a lighter heart.
📺 Sometimes illness makes regular lessons impossible. We use documentaries, historical movies, and even delightful interpretations of beloved books/plays to screen to get us through.
🌱 Taking a 30-minute walk through our neighborhood or woods refreshes attitudes and outlooks. We all feel better after time in nature.
📖 Bible study- we have found that issue-specific Bible studies can be very helpful during difficult seasons. We’ve done studies on the value of work, contentment, sibling relationships, serving others, etc. There’s no better teacher than the Holy Spirit instructing directly through the Word!
🛌 Rest- Elijah is a great reminder that sometimes we just need a nap and a snack. Mama, this is directed at you. Without adequate rest and nourishment we cannot serve our family well, nor can we set a good example because we get out of sorts and provoke bad moments and days when we neglect our physical and spiritual needs.