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We all get frustrated as parents. And it’s often that it’s a daily occurrence.

Patience seems to be the thing that most parents struggle with. It’s hard when things don’t go our way, and when a little human wants to do their own thing instead of what we told them to do.

How do you deal with your frustrations as a parent? Not in the best way?

Well, in that case, FOURTEEN different moms have shared sage advice and given great ways to help you calm yourself during those tough days.

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1. Touch Something Cold

Meredith’s tips are to calm yourself according to the time that you have available at the moment. From touching something cold while you count to ten to vegging for an entire evening, she’s got great time-wise tips to help calm yourself down.

Touching something cold redirects your mind to focus on the cold, instead of whatever is frustrating you at that moment.

She owns Motherhood by Meredith where her goal is to help moms “embrace the chaos that rules the major parts of motherhood.”

2. Be Mindful

For overwhelming, frustrating days, Jennie suggests being mindful, having gratitude, laugh, and do something for you, as well as many more great tips!

Jennie of Four to Love is a mom of four and a parenting problem-solver. She researches common parenting challenges and shares solutions to them, along with her own experiences.

3. Imagine How Your Child Sees You

Shemeida asks the question, “How do you want to show up in your kid’s life?” It is more important to teach your child about what you are wanting them to do, instead of just teaching them what “makes mom mad.”

Shemeida helps moms be successful with their blogs and on Pinterest. Her website Shemeida.com is currently under construction but will be up soon.

4. Repeat A Mantra

Elizabeth gave her wonderful, personal tip, that repeating a mantra is what helps her in the frustrating moments of motherhood, such as, “SHE IS ONLY TWO.” Mantras give your mind specific words to focus on, and the repetition of those words help to calm it.

Elizabeth shares fun activities for toddlers on her website, Itty Bitty Sunshine.

5. Accept the Bad Days

Stefanie’s faith-based blog Just As I Am Now is full of encouragement for parents, stating that you are fine just as you are, and you don’t have to be perfect. Her advice is to accept that you are having a bad day, but that it won’t be this way forever.

When you accept something, you stop fighting it and tend to work with it, not against it. Accepting a bad day is the first step in it getting better.

6. Take Deep Breaths and Count to Ten

In frustrating situations, Taylor says to “Take time for you, in the moment, amongst the screaming, and you can work through it,” by taking deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth) and counting to 10. She says it helps if you can go into the other room to do this, but if not, it will still help.

Taylor focuses on helping families achieve real goals and gives tips on parenting on her website TheAccomplishedFamily.com.

7. Do Something Physical

Alicia of Love You More suggests doing something physical when frustrated, like running up and down the stairs and encourages moms to focus on what you CAN do to “control the chaos.”

Alicia is a mom of four who focuses on encouraging the overwhelmed mom.

8. Mommy Time-Out

Stephanie of StephanieGary.com suggests taking a few minutes for a mommy time-out, while baby is in the other room in their crib or somewhere equally safe.

Stepping away from a frustrating situation can help immensely. And with that time out, you can do most of the other tips on this list.

Stephanie is a writer and editor for mothers who are trying to grow their creative business while creating blog content.

9. This Too Shall Pass

Justine of Love Every Aspect didn’t start feeling the frustration until her baby began having separation anxiety. Here she gives great tips for coping with that frustration, including the understanding that it’s just a phase your baby is going through and that these circumstances won’t last forever.

On her website, Justine shares her passion for the outdoors, travel, stress-free living, and family.

10. Good Communication With Spouse

Jannine of Happy Stylish Fit reminds us of how important communication is during these difficult times. She talks about the isolation motherhood often brings, and how a new baby is so much more comfortable with Mom over Dad, that Mom ends up doing the brunt of the baby work (especially if she’s a SAHM and Dad goes back to work), so it’s important to express these feelings of isolation and frustration to your spouse. She states that you need to be able to communicate how you feel and how your partner can help.

Jannine has one son and shares her experiences so that other mothers can know that they aren’t alone.

11. Keep It Simple For You

Here, Jessica of Blue Morning Mama talks about ways to avoid anxiety (and frustrations) and keeping things more simple for YOU, such as staying in more and getting off of social media – no comparing!

Jessica is a mom of two and writes about relatable mom challenges and advice.

12. Recognize Your Stressors

Priscilla talks here about mom rage and how to avoid it. That it usually happens when you are tired and stressed, so be sure to get enough rest, but on the days of not having enough rest, relax your standards (we could do this even on days of rest IMHO!). She also suggests chocolate, which I can completely get behind.

Recognizing what stresses you, causing mom rage, can help you get ahead of the game and figure out what to do to avoid those situations or to make them better before they blow up.

Priscilla and her sister, Marty, started their blog The Mother Lode when they realized how many tips and stories they were passing back and forth and decided to share their nuggets with the world.

13. Don’t React

Tia of Tia Slightham says not reacting to bad behavior actually makes your child stop that behavior because they are not getting attention for it. Her tip is to calmly tell your child that when they are finished with [undesired behavior] you will be happy to talk to them, and then walk away. Not as a form of punishment, but as a form of not getting angry and reacting to their behavior.

Tia has two sons and is a parent consultant who helps parents solve sleep issues and behavioral struggles using positive parenting solutions.

14. Be the Calm in the Storm

Last, but not least, is my two cents.

I noticed that when Madison would have a temper-tantrum or would be upset, I would, in turn, get upset and angry, also. But I realized that when she’s upset like that, she feels like she’s in a raging storm and then I jump in and add more wind and thunder to it.

So, instead of joining in her storm, I knew that I needed to be able to calm her storm. I would even say this as a mantra, “be the calm in her storm,”: or “I am the calm in her storm.” It has helped me a LOT to stop the reaction and take deep breaths and focus on the word “CALM.”

Also, get some stress balls. Squeezing it with all of your might really helps to get the tension out in a healthy way.

Remember, these things take time

Patience is not something that is learned overnight. It’s something you have to constantly work on. And may still have to work on it, even when you feel you’ve mastered it!

Situations arise that throw us off guard and can trigger our jerk-reflex, which might be yelling or throwing things, but that’s when you think of #3 when you feel that happening; how do you want your child to see you in that situation?

Think back to how you were raised. How did your parents deal with frustration? Not so well, either?

Parenting is wonderful and is definitely tough sometimes. Patience is hard to learn and hard to apply. But it’s so important.

I hope you use these wise words and that they help you to handle those frustrating moments better with your kids.

In case you needed to see these tried and true tips again, here they are:

• Touch Something Cold
• Be Mindful
• Imagine How Your Child Sees You
• Repeat A Mantra
• Accept the Bad Days
• Take Deep Breaths and Count to Ten
• Do Something Physical
• Mommy Time-Out
• This Too Shall Pass
• Good Communication With Spouse
• Keep It Simple For You
• Recognize Your Stressors
• Don’t React
• Be the Calm in the Storm

Related posts:
The Secret to Fighting Mom Overwhelm
How to Stop Taking Your Mom Frustrations Out On Your Spouse
Five Ways to Ask Your Husband For Help, and Actually Get It

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