Randomness. It's hard when meltdowns are imminent because we have to go somewhere or do something. Those are the times I would grin and bear it if I could recognise I was starting to loose it.

Otherwise random things. Those are the moments I shut down from the outside world and do something fun and relaxing with the kids. And every child is different so it's dependent on that. For example cooking in our house seems to bring out the zen in all of us. So we'd bake. Other times we do something crafty. I have even been known to find random things on YouTube just to get some calm. Recently we sat down and tried to find all the themes to their favourite shows. I also showed them mine. It gave us a few hours on a day where all our tempers were short. It's weird to think you can bond over YouTube When they were little I'd let them have a relaxing bath. Complete with music, essential oils etc. The fancy bath as they called it.

I always had the rule since DS was born that if things weren't going great that day anything could be put off. I fought through PND with DD and trying to be perfect. Keeping play dates after 2 hours sleep. Or not cancelling when I knew she needed down time. So now I have no quarms in saying no. For their sanity and mine. I'll try and think of more things but often it would be something as silly as playing what's the time Mr Wolf. Or singing nursery rhymes but changing the words to something silly. Laughter and randomness has always got us through, when I can recognise we aren't coping.