I swear, some mornings it feels like I’m tip-toeing through a minefield, only the mines are scattered LEGO bricks, half-eaten toast, and a child teetering on the edge of sensory overload.
You know the scenario: the TV hums too loudly, someone’s socks are scratchy, and suddenly the next thing you know, tears are flowing and you’re scrambling to calm a full-blown meltdown.
Been there, done that, burnt the T-shirt.
Over the years I’ve learnt that routines aren’t chains, they’re the rails that keep the crazy train running smoothly. They’re the secret sauce that transforms your lounge from war-zone to Zen-garden, and honestly, once you taste that peace, you’ll never go back.
Tip 1: Morning ‘Check-In’ Ritual
Every morning, before the tea even hits my lips properly, I plonk myself beside my child with a cuppa (cold tea counts).
We spread out a simple emotion chart happy, okay, tired, grumpy and spend three minutes naming our feelings.
It sounds almost too easy, but it’s like turning on the lights in a dark room. My child feels heard, I get a snapshot of their inner world, and we both walk into the day with our emotional seatbelts fastened.
Tip 2: Visual Timetables for Transitions
Transitions can be the stuff of nightmares.
Ten minutes passed, and your kid’s still on level three Minecraft when they should be halfway through breakfast.
Enter the fridge-front timetable, colourful cards for every key part of the day, breakfast, school run, chill time, chores. The power of seeing what’s next is huge.
No ‘What now? What now?’ panic – just a calm shift from one activity to the next.
Tip 3: Sensory-Safe Zonestables for Transitions
Pick a corner of your loungeroom, ideally with soft lighting and stash noise-cancelling headphones, a weighted blanket and a few favourite fidget toys.
When the world feels too loud or too bright, you point and say ‘reset station’.
It’s not a time-out, it’s a safe-in.
And between you and me, sometimes I sneak in too, five minutes under that blanket with my headphones on feels like a mini spa break.
Routines won’t solve every challenge, but they give you a fighting chance at calm.
And remember, Super Mum, you get five deep breaths in the laundry. No one can stop you.
Very helpful!