The 'Mum' Bracelet

I like to think of myself as a mindful mum. I'm always mindful of my actions and words towards my children. But don't get me wrong, as much as I'm aware of trying to be patient, I do sometimes loose it...as I hope all mums and dads would admit! I can and do loose my cool and then have to deal with the feelings of guilt afterwards. 

We have all experienced it, a toddler playing the "Why?" game or the diva 5 year old who is refusing to put on her school shoes yet is still prancing around in her princess costume slippers! Being a mum is challenging. It's a 24 hour job that you get no break from, you don't get to clock in and out and you don't get an appraisal at the end of the month to tell you how well you're doing! 

As parents we need to learn to praise ourselves in all that we do and be more mindful and aware of how our patience could be rewarded. So we have a little idea for you.  How about trying the 'bracelet' trick?

At the start of each day I slip on my 3  'Bracelets' to the side I prefer.   I wear them from the moment I wake up till the time I tuck the kids in at night. The aim of the game is to keep all 3 bands on my preferred wrist! 

If you choose to, a band will have to be switched over to the opposite wrist if you loose your cool, loose your patience or allow yourself to get frustrated. If the band does get transferred, instead of allowing yourself to feel guilty or uncomfortable you can do something positive to get the band back onto the preferred wrist!

For example, your toddler is playing empty out the cereal boxes on the floor, yes you will probable be frustrated with the mess all over the kitchen floor and find yourself loosing your patience. Swap a band over. To recover the band, do something kind to regain a positive relationship with the toddler. Sing a song. Stop doing the washing up and read the toddler a story. Enjoy a minute together........and voila, move band back! 

At the end of the day allow yourself to recognise how many bands your wearing on each wrist, have you got all 3 back on the preferred wrist?  Be proud, you've survived another day and you have made it through while being more patient more positive and more mindful of your reactions as a parent!

A monthly blog I read states that  "As parents, we crave a healthy, connected relationship with our little ones. But in the chaos of modern parenting life, we can get frustrated easily and that puts a strain on our relationship with our kids. The mum bands are a simple, visible reminder to catch ourselves before we get off track. And because we're human, it's possible to "earn" the bands back to repair the relationship after we slip up." 

This is a simple trick that has worked wonders for me personally. It's made me more aware, more forgiving and more likely to think before I react when it comes to parenting my two beautiful girls. 

You can also use these bands as a visual reminder to help you with breast feeding. Helping you to remember which breast you last fed from, or as they come in a pack of 3 use two as emergency hair ties when you and your child's  locks need taming out of the way!  

So whatever you do to survive this challenging yet most rewarding job in the world of parent hood, I applaud you. I high 5 you!

Even if you're not a parent you can use these bands to be mindful in your everyday world, be more aware of your actions and channel your motivation.  Why not gift some to a teenage girl...encourage them to move them over when they do something for someone else...now THERE'S a challenge!

Big Love to you all and a special big love to my two sassy gals, Darcy & Betsy!

Josie x