Moms: How to Overcome the Witching Hour

I recently received a gift of a free subscription to Working Mother Magazine and I love it. As a mom to two toddlers who works full time, I am constantly looking for ways to make my life and the lives of those around me simpler and more fulfilling. This magazine is jam packed with tips, ideas, recipes, and true life stories of working moms from all over.

Recently (this morning, in fact) I read an article about the "Witching Hour" which I used to associate with infants and that mystical time when they scream for no apparent reason and for only a specified amount of time (like 1-3 hours) and then, for again no apparent reason, they stop. But the author describes it as the time when she gets her kids from school and they go home (also known as "reentry") and everything goes haywire.

Boy, can I relate. Just last night I was wondering "what is it about this time of the day that all of us are so cranky?" The author went on to relate some great advice:

Breathe instead of talk. Again, I really need this. I'm completely guilty of filling silence for the sake of noise.

Just be for a bit. This is awesome. Just sit for a minute and cuddle with my little guys instead of jumping right into loading laundry, emptying the dishwasher or starting dinner.

Take time for your inner you. Something as simple as changing out of my work clothes and taking five minutes to breathe can make all the difference for me.

Ask for help (yes, really).

Now, my children cannot help at this level (yet) but they can be in charge of picking up their toys or putting their plastic plates and silverware on the table themselves. They can also know that when Mommy is getting dinner ready, it's quiet time.

The whole article was phenomenal and I could relate to practically every word in it. I recommend this magazine (a personal favorite is the regular "This is How She Does It" section, highlighting a mom who works and manages to find a bit of work-life balance) to any of your working moms out there, even if you're staying home, but thinking about going back to work!