Be a Better Parent Challenge - Day 18 - Get happy!

So while I do fairly well with the whole "okay?" challenge from yesterday, I found myself resorting back to the "in a seconds."

Damn those ugly beasts.

Now, even though we're all still hacking our lungs out over here thanks to the cold that WILL NOT DIE, I figure it's as good a day as any to tackle this next challenge.

#18: Get Happy

I suppose this may actually be the most difficult challenge yet because who knows exactly what it will take to make us happy. And maybe we're already as happy as we're going to get.

The point I'm trying to make is that in order to be better parents, we need to be happy people. And happiness comes in all sorts of various forms - whether it's small things like being well-rested, getting a much needed pedicure, having a date night, pr being alone without the kids. Or whether it's tackling the big guns, like issues with your spouse or frustration with your current work and not-work situation.

And even then, I'm not sure we actually reach "happy" so much as we get "happier."

Oh my head.

But I'm a firm believer that in order to be really great, attentive, loving, awesome better parents, we need to be happy people. We can certainly fake it for awhile, but you can only shake a soda bottle and leave the cap on for so long before it pushes itself open.

So today, take some time to figure out what your "happy" is. And if you're at a loss, you might enjoy two of my favorite sites, The Happiest Mom (a great blog soon to be book written by Meagan Francis) and The Happiness Project (a great book and now blog written by Gretchen Rubin). Both a fantastic and very worthy additions to your feed readers. Trust me.

Now go get happy!

Comments

[Jessica]

Great tip! And, I am glad to have discovered this challenge!
-Jessica

[Meagan Francis]

Thank you, Kristen! (and I'm blushing, Liz!)

I am just loving your Be A Better Parent Challenge. Such a great reminder to us all. Also, just saw that you're homeschooling. Good luck and enjoy! I am a homeschooler at heart so I always feel a wee bit jealous of other HSing moms. :)

[mom101]

Two of the best sites ever. I'm happier just thinking about them.