I knew it was going to be a bad day when my two year old came to my bedside with that loud, demanding unintelligible toddler whine that has striking similarities to the language of alien films. Now, getting out of bed for me is right up there next to getting my teeth pulled. And, I prefer to wake up slow and easy… not by the demands of a child who wants nourishment and wants it NOW. Ugh.

The morning continued just as badly with spilled cups of orange juice, the discovery of a jar of honey dumped out in the cupboard, a coffeepot barricaded with last night’s dinner dishes, a computer malfunctioning, and an assembly line of demands shooting at me second by second from the kids. (I was certain that they had secretly made a schedule for the morning to make sure I didn’t get a spare second to myself.) After just a couple hours into the day, I was cooked…fried to a crisp…DONE.

It was quickly becoming one of those days.

I was ready to give up…let the day roll over me like a steam engine and hope for a better one tomorrow. But how many days had I done that? How many days had I labeled as “bad days” and symbolically tossed them in the trash can with the leftover chicken bones from yesterday’s dinner?

No! I was not going to throw this day into the “bad day” trash bin! I was determined to turn this day around.

Have you ever longed to turn a bad day around? Send it in a new direction? Turn a bad day into a good one? Well, here are a few of my favorite tools for turning "one of those days" around. Maybe they just might help you…

GET OUT – Yes, throw the kids in the car or a stroller and get out of there…NOW! Don’t worry about such silly things as combed hair or cute outfits. Just GO! Somewhere. Anywhere. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. Ideally, somewhere fun.

MOVIE DAY – I’m not a big fan of pouring gallons of TV into impressionable sponges of hearts and minds, but sometimes, hey, a gal has to survive. Pick out a couple great (and ideally long) movies, throw a couple sleeping bags on the floor, pop some popcorn, and either jump in with the kids or lock yourself in the bathroom with a good book. Aaaaah.

CLEAN – Okay, I know what you’re thinking…I'm wanting a good day. But cleaning a house can actually be a great way to redirect all that tension into positive energy. And nothing can beat the feeling of a clean house at the end of the day. Child recruits and loud music recommended.

DATE NIGHT –Call your guy and tell him you’ve got to get out…TONIGHT. Have him call the sitter…after all, the way your day is going, you probably won’t be able to find the phone. :)

Of course, these are just a few ideas. Come up with your own list of tools for turning bad days around. After all, life is short and days are precious. They should never be thrown away.

What are a few of your ideas for turning a bad day around?

Blessings,

Susan