How do you un-slump?

I have a line from Dr Zeuss in my head: "And when you're in a slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done"

'Slump' is a polite way to put the mood in this house right now. Snotty and stampy, moody and melodramatic, touchy and teary... we are not much enjoying our day. We're all sick and I am hormonal and sleep-deprived to boot. My batteries are so flat I am seriously struggling to take the lead and help everyone get back on track but I have to do something because it's just misery.

We are sill in jarmies, have eaten 'whatever, whenever', have had lots of stories on the couch and the kids are now in front of the Gruffalo movie. But I don't want to just leave the TV on all day. I'm stuck.

What do you do to un-slump yourself and your family?

Its just started raining in my part of Melbourne so great day for a "slump" in my opinion. Personally I just live with it and try to make it fun! We move mattresses to the loungroom or when dd was little, make a cubby under the dining room table and I get takeaway chicken soup from our local vietnamese. Get a bag of oranges as squeeze fresh OJ for everyone. Sorry, I know not really what you asked but it is not a bad thing sometimes and it is a long weekend so you have an extra day to enjoy on monday if everyone is better!

Mornings when I'm getting stroppy I put some cheesy music on the iPod and we all have a dance round the kitchen. Katy Perry, One Direction.

Middle of the day strops I send the kids outside to bounce on the tramp or something and take a few minutes to collect myself.

Big hugs. It's really tough when you're tired.

I get everyone out of the house. Even if it's just for a walk, the park or the shops. Everything just seems better after being out.

Add water - a bath with lots of bubbles cures every mood.

Get outside - sunshine, fresh air, greenery works wonders. A trip to the park with a bench where you can slump and drink coffee while the kids run around is good.

Other line of least effort activities - treasure hunt for the kids in the backyard (use marbles or make a list of things to find eg, a flower with 5 petals, something orange, etc). This switches their brains over from passive (= expects input) to seeking/creative (=amuses selves).

Set up [insert toy] world on the loungeroom floor. We do this a lot with lego, barbies, wooden blocks, whatever. Essentially you just give them a scenario (hey kids, the lego people are going on holidays) and appoint spaces on the floor for different locations within that scenario (eg, the rug is the holiday island, this side is the beach & this is the jungle) - add a couple of props (upside down bowl = mountain) & away they go.

Keep a box of last minute activities, wool for finger knitting or cats cradle, colouring-in/mazes, chalk for drawing on the path outside, modeling clay, balloons (add texta faces or just throw them around). Add to the box when you've got ideas & energy& turn to it when you're running on empty.

On an afternoon like this arvo (if is the same at yours and here), I would be tempted to let them go with the TV if that works - sometimes if you put on Playschool or Mr Maker that suddenly sparks an interest in a play or some sort of craft. I used to think alot about how much TV they watched per day, now I forget day and look at it more on a weekly basis, some days they watch none at all, on wet miserable days when no one feeling that good they watch more - but over the weeks I think it all pans out fairly well. (For me it is always easier to do outdoors in the morning, even if it is wet - it feels much easier in the morning - the weather outside at the moment is very unappealing - not wet enough for puddles, but grey and miserable and damp enough)

Cooking something tends to cheer them up also - or lets have a picnic tea type thing.

Do they have something they want to do? I think sometimes letting them choose, even if is watch TV, helps them get over it. E.g. I let them both choose something they want to watch, and say they can watch it and then we will have a think about what else we might want to do. Normally after the two shows have been watched - they have come up with some idea they want to do. (Oh and I find that if they pick the show that I dislike the most - that always works best - e.g. currently is Hi-5 - somehow watching them enjoy themselves singing and dancing to something I find so irritating really cheers me up :-))

It depends. I think I ride the wave. Especially during sickness. I give myself the luxury of the down time. I find I stress myself out if I think I should be doing something else and I hate the guilt that goes with it.

Having said that I do plan for that moment when the slump is officially over.

But it sounds like you want to make the wave less torturous which is totally ok too.

What indoor activities would make you happy? A story circle? A game of hot and cold with an object to find. Baking? Planning a family outing or holiday?

Sick and snotty = TV over here..... There's nothing more appealing than doonas on the couch watching movies when you're sick... Especially when it's as miserable outside as Melbourne is today....

If they have more energy than you.... Well DSD used to love playing with my hair.... So... I sat in the couch with my hair over the back of it and let her brush and comb and put up in whatever weird concoction she liked... It didn't hurt... Too much.... :) and was quite relaxing for me in a way....

I so hope you feel better soon xoxo

Shower and get dressed. I always feel worse if I mope in pjs.
Big glass of water
And
If that doesnt help then go outside for some vitamin D.
Have a silly dance with the kids

Thanks all. We're getting there. We've made yoghurt, played board games, made cubbies, sang songs to the baby and now they're off playing Lego with DH because, quite frankly, I did the former stuff through gritted teeth. And I think that's the crux of the problem really. I've got nothing. I'm just irritable and flat and stuck in a great bit sooky 'I don't wanna' and it's so flipping hard to support them through their own cruddy days from here.

Just want to go hide under my own doona and have someone bring me soup and put on my favourite movie. :( This thread may have been better placed in the boo hoo section.

We will ride it out. One snot-filled, half-hearted activity at a time. Thanks for the ideas. xo

Can you get your fave movie on your iPad and headphone it up whilst they watch theirs ;)

Hey also. You have permission ok? It's totally fair xxx

I am bad mama. When I can't deal with stuff, Liebs and I play lego RPGs (lego was made for d&d) and watch fantasy musicals.

I like, he has been trained to like. Order pizza for delivery and life becomes sweet again.