Food Fun Family

A family lifestyle blog about food, family, entertainment, travel and family-friendly products.

  • Home
  • Food
    • All Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Side Dishes
    • Vegetarian dishes
    • Delicious Dishes Recipe Party
    • Recipe Round Ups
    • 15 Minute Suppers
    • Recipe Box
  • Family
    • Tips for Moms
    • Family life
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Savvy Living
  • Creative Life
    • Crafts + projects
    • DIY Bath & Body Products
    • Printables and Activity Sheets
    • Photography Tutorials
    • Give Me Your Best Shot – Photostory Friday
  • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Giveaways
    • Book Club
    • Movies
    • Printables and Activity Sheets
    • Blog prompts
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Advertise
    • Site Map – Find Your Way Around
  • Lollidale Goats
    • Our Does
You are here: Home / Family life / How to Be a Happier Mom in 8 Easy Steps

How to Be a Happier Mom in 8 Easy Steps

Saturday, March 13, 2010 by Lolli 19 Comments

 
This post was part of March Resilience Month in our house while I was acting as an ambassador for Pepperidge Farms’ Fishful Thinking program. These tips originally appeared in an article by Robert Barnett (from Parenting magazine—January 2007), but all commentary (and opinions) are my own. The tips were found, along with other articles and activities on resilience, on Fishfulthinking.com.

Eight Steps to be a Happier Mom, a la Fishful Thinking

 
Parenting is tough work and it's easy for moms to feel burnt out and discouraged. These tips are exactly what you need for a little parenting boost. How to be a Happier Mom in 8 Easy Steps (you'll love number 2!)

Ask a woman if she’s happier now that she has children and she’ll most likely say yes. But the day to day routine of a mom often doesn’t fit the ideal picture of “happiness.” In fact, motherhood itself can often be the root of a bad mood. Am I right? The good news is that you can learn to focus on the positive and make it a habit. You can be a happy mom!

  1. Admit when you’re stressed
    It is normal to be stressed as a mom. I get stressed daily. House not clean enough? Oh yeah. Kids fighting? Check. Bills piling up? Bring on the stress! The funny thing about stress is that once you stop expecting motherhood to feel warm and fuzzy all the time, life as a mom gets easier. It’s normal. We’ve all been there.
  2. Get enough sleep
    Here’s an area where I need a lot of work. I have to wake up every morning by 6:20 to wake up KitKat to get ready for middle school. So why is it that I frequently stay up until midnight? I know better. I know how I’m going to feel without a good night’s sleep. But I also crave that productive alone time at night. Let’s just say that this is an area that I know I could improve in. (Check out my tips for getting a good night sleep HERE)
  3. (Re)consider your priorities
    As moms, we could fill every day with rather meaningless activities and never focus any of our time on things we enjoy. Don’t forget that doing things that you enjoy are sometimes just as important as loading the dishwasher.
  4. Go with the flow
    Time seems to slow down when you’re doing what you enjoy. People who experience this level of engagement (which psychologists call “flow”) are happier than people who rarely do.
  5. Savor the moment
    It’s ok to get on the ground with your preschooler and play for a while. As mundane as some of these “normal” motherhood moments may feel, they are precious. Sometimes after my “big kids” head off for school, I climb back into bed with AJ and read books together. Sometimes we lay down and snuggle. I love those moments.
  6. Take the long view
    If the drudgery is getting to you, think about how empty your life would be without children. Think about what these moments mean in the long run. What are you creating?
  7. Reconnect with your spouse
    I truly believe that a supportive group of friends is important for happiness as a mother. But what about Daddy? Friends can move away, interests and schedules can change, but Hubby is always going to be there (we hope, right?). Rely on each other. Talk with each other. I remember (vaguely) that time before we had kids when we would spend every evening playing games and talking late into the night. That became much harder once we had babies, but I haven’t forgotten how important that connection is.
  8. Say thanks
    Kids do their chores? Say thank you. Husband pitched in and made dinner? Say thanks. I know that I feel so much better when I recognize the things I’m grateful for and vocalize it.

What are some of your tips for being happy as a mom?

Check out my “TIPS FOR MOMS” category for more helpful parenting tips and tricks from a mom who’s been around the block a few times!

Follow Lolli | Food Fun Family’s board Parenting Tips + Tricks on Pinterest.

© 2010 – 2016, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

About Lolli

Lolli has written 3740 post in this blog.

I became a mom in 1996, and in 2005 I had my fifth. Yes, 5 kids. In 2007, this blog was born (my 6th baby that will never grow up) and I've been sharing recipes, photography tricks, parenting tips, and everything in between. (Formerly Better in Bulk)

  • View all posts by Lolli →
  • Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Family life, Parenting, Tips for Moms Tagged With: Family life, Fishful Thinking, kids, Parenting, tips for moms

« I Can Feel It In The Air! GMYBSPSF
Momz Share DC Metro Bloggers Girls Night Out »

Comments

  1. Andrea says

    Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11:44 am

    What a great post! I should have these all hung up on my wall so I don’t forget to do them. ; )

  2. The (Un)Experienced Mom says

    Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    Love, love, LOVE these tips! I could have written some of those feelings in my own post because I do feel that way many days. Stressed, not sleeping enough, and not savoring the simple moments. Thanks for the reminder…needed it!

    Tamara
    http://www.theunexperiencedmom.com
    http://www.blogconferencenewbie.com

  3. Jess says

    Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 5:44 am

    Good tips! I need to stop wishing for more than 24 hours in a day, though!
    .-= Jess´s last blog ..5 Question Friday =-.

  4. Chrissy MacCEO says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    Thanks for sharing these great tips to keep us moms smiling and feeling our best. Its a hard job, and it’s nice to be reminded how important it is to cut ourselves a little slack, too!

  5. Allison says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    My tip is to give yourself permission to not be perfect. Some days you just can’t do the dishes, grocery shopping, pick up and drop off kids, attend play dates, make three healthy meals and still look good doing it all. I’ve learned to limit what I do, and to feel good about doing that.
    .-= Allison´s last blog ..Is This the End or the Beginning? (SAHM Series) =-.

  6. Kelli @ writing the waves says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    When I first read that article, the sleep tip really stuck out to me. Doesn’t it say something like an extra hour of sleep per night brings more happiness than making an extra $30,000 a year? Or maybe it was 60,000. It was some crazy amount like taht. I’ll have to look it up. I’d love if you’d link this post to Fishful Thinking Thursday…my Mcklinky is bare this week. :(
    .-= Kelli @ writing the waves´s last blog ..Fishful Thinking Thursday – "The best day ever!" =-.

  7. Jennifer says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 6:39 pm

    Great tips. I have nothing better to add to this wise list, but maybe there’s a way to help moms go with the flow.

    There’s this cool new tool that helps teach kids to work out conflicts on their own.

    It’s called the Pocket Referee.
    Give it a look. http://www.thepocketreferee.com

  8. Safire says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    Great tips, as always! :) I could totally use some more help with the sleeping thing too.
    .-= Safire´s last blog ..I Married Superman =-.

  9. Lolli says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    It’s so true. Sometimes I wish I could enjoy my kids as babies again. It has gone by so fast!

  10. Lolli says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    I’m glad I’m not the only one! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

  11. Lolli says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    You are so right! I bet even men could benefit from these tips. ;)

  12. Lolli says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    Isn’t it funny how something so simple can make a big difference? Thanks for stopping by today!

  13. Julie {Angry Julie Monday} says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Great tips. Savoring the moment is really true for me. My son will only be this age once, and I just need to remember it all and enjoy it.
    .-= Julie {Angry Julie Monday}´s last blog ..iGo Anywhere =-.

  14. through jenny's lens says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    This is a really excellent post and I hope everyone will take the time to read it. #6 really hit home for me. Life might seem crazy and the winter blues are hitting hard, but I can’t imagine my life without this family. Thank you for that reminder. And #2? Yeah, I need to work on that too!
    .-= through jenny’s lens´s last blog ..let’s chat…again =-.

  15. Gilliauna says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 11:29 am

    These are excellent advice and tips. Not just for moms, either but for every woman. *Smile* A terrific reminder to those of us with busy, chaotic lives. Great post Laura.
    .-= Gilliauna´s last blog ..$20.00 Store Credit GIVEAWAY =-.

  16. Melinda says

    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 11:25 am

    great great tips! i need to remember #8 more often

Trackbacks

  1. Critical | Better in Bulk - Family photographer with a large family says:
    Monday, October 11, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    […] March, I wrote about Fishful Thinking’s 8 steps to being a happier mom. I pulled that post back up this morning as I was thinking about my critical self, and was struck […]

  2. Happy Mother's Day . . . | Bear at Home says:
    Friday, April 30, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    […] How to Be a Happier Mom in 8 Easy Steps (foodfunfamily.com) […]

  3. uberVU - social comments says:
    Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by 1momof5: How to Be a Happier Mom in 8 Easy Steps https://bit.ly/crMfzZ (new post!)…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.