5 Ways to Manage the Witching Hour… Without Becoming a Witch

If you’ve been a mom for any length of time you probably know exactly what  I mean by the “witching” hour. It’s that time of day where your kids seem to lose the plot, become cranky, and unreasonable. It’s also the time of day where you can easily become those things yourself!

The Witching hour may be different for every kid, but it comes like clockwork. I can look at my kiddo’s behavior and say “hey, it must be 4 o’clock”, and yep, it is … on the dot.  Over the last 5 years I’ve come up with some creative ways to manage these couple of hours, with my sanity intact, and come out the other side with a happy kiddo.

1. Stop working.

If you’re a work at home mom, like me, stop working during this time. You’re not going to get anything done, and you’re just going to get frustrated. Take an hour off and come back later if you’ve still got work to do.

2. Do something fun.

I’ve found that having something fun to do during this time can be the perfect way to change a little monster into something a little sweeter… now remember, this is the “fun stuff” they like to do… you know those games that make you want to scratch your eyes out… yeah, those.

3. Have a plan.

It’s very helpful for me to have a plan of action ahead of time. Some interesting ideas for things to do. When I’m in the thick of the witching hour it’s almost impossible for me to think straight and come up with some good ideas. I created this Kids Afternoon activities sheet, (feel free to download and use!) to help me plan out some things I can do with her during this time.

[Tweet “Have a witching hour plan… it’s almost impossible to have good ideas in the middle of it. “]

4. Get outside

Whether it’s hot or cold, windy or still… the fresh air seems to make a difference. Go for a walk, play on the swing set, throw the ball for the dog, just get outside! (plus the screaming can sound much quieter out in the open!)

5. Take a Bath

This is my best tip yet. There’s no reason why you have to take a bath after dinner! That’s the busiest time of our day, and the time when I’m most tired. There’s something about a bath that just melts away the irritability of the witching hour, and allows the ugly to just flow down the drain. My kiddo will stay in the tub forever if I let her, so I just let her play in the bubbles with her toys until she’s happy again. 🙂 Works like a champ every time.

So there you have 5 easy ways to manage the witching hour. I’d love to hear what you do to manage this time of day. It can be so challenging! Please, share your tips with me in the comments.

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