Escaping Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day which seems fitting as today has started like most of January did; with heavy rain on the school run, running late and arguments over welly boots. Granted I don’t have a huge squirrel tormenting me but let’s face it parenting can feel a lot like Groundhog Day. We find ourselves repeating the same cycle everyday; hunting for homework, the stressful school run, toddler tantrums etc.

It can be infuriating at times and as a result we can find ourselves moaning.

But if we are not careful we could find ourselves trapped in this cycle of moaning as portrayed by Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.

Like the movie we have to learn to break free from the moaning and learn to live in the now. This is something that Cuddle Fairy passionately believes in because like Becky says it’s about changing your mindset. Easier said than done, but it is about making the small steps first. If you read Becky’s blog and look at her motivational quotes you can’t help but feel more positive.

So what are the other ways of breaking free from GroundHog Day?

• Do something for you! Yep, being a Mum or Dad means that we have to spend most of our time fulfilling the needs of our little ones but this doesn’t mean that we should forget about ourselves and our needs. Set yourself some goals, what do you want to achieve this year? Just remember to start small. Perhaps best to leave the dream of entering The Voice until after you have learnt to sing. If you start to too big with your goals you may find it more demotivating. So for me writing this blog was one of my goals. But watch this space for The Voice….

• Stop. If your toddler is having another meltdown over the fact that she is not allowed to stick cheerios up her nose then take a few moments. Remove the cheerios and escape to the toilet for a minute. Or watch that cute Youtube video of the cat saying “hello” or if the thought of a talking cat freaks you out then dance very badly to whatever music is on the radio.

• Do something different. We get stuck in the cycle but we can all break it with the smallest of actions. Perhaps a random act of kindness, saying hello to a stranger or writing a card to one of your oldest friends.

• Accept that your toddler is probably going to have a tantrum and that oldest is probably going to come home from school grumpy and tired. Instead think about what we can change about how we deal with the situation.
• Stop rushing. I’m always dashing about, running to get to school on time, running between clubs. We need to take a breath and slow down. We need to make a point of enjoying the now.
• Avoid negative people. We all know those people, the ones that like to drag you into their latest drama. Perhaps avoid them for the day or make it a mission to turn all their negatives into a positive. Also make a point at smiling at the grumpy neighbour. Smiles are infectious!

I think that the key to escaping that Groundhog Day feeling is us. We all have the power to break free from the loop but it is easier said than done, it will take perseverance. This is why we have to take a big breath and tackle one day at a time whilst remembering to be kind. Let’s share the love because

we might not have a large squirrel stalking us but we too need to learn that we are in charge of our own story.

How do you break free from Groundhog Day?