Bad Days

I'm not having a bad day today.

But I want to do a post on bad days at this moment in time for precisely that reason. It's hard to reflect on a bad day when you're smack in the middle of one. It's better to think about them when you're removed from the situation. So here goes:

If you have a bad day at work, you can go get a cup of coffee or walk around a bit by yourself to collect your thoughts. Sometimes you have to wait the whole day until you can unwind at home but eventually you are afforded that respite at 5:00.

The problem with having a bad day as a stay-at-home dad is that you absolutely cannot get away from it. You can't simply leave your child somewhere and go get coffee. You have to take them with you. And what's more, you feed off each other. Your bad mood affects your child like a storm spins off tornadoes. You get stressed and screw something up and they start crying which stresses you out and creates more screw ups. More tears. More stress. It's a cycle of the vicious variety.

And when 5:00 finally rolls around, you can't really go home because you're already there!

Naptime can offer a break but usually that's when you try to accomplish all the stuff you've been putting off all day. That break is often the busiest, most condensed part of your day.

Plain and simple, bad days are a stay-at-home dad workplace hazard like shocks are to electrician and zebra bites are to a zoo keeper.

What I find helps is if I identify that first thing that started the whole downward slide and then trying to deal with that. Usually, a single small snag will set off a chain reaction of other snags resulting in a whopping bad mood. Sometimes, if I can fix that original snag, that prime mover, other things start to fall into place too.

I can't think of a good example at the moment which may be proof positive that this method of damage control doesn't actually work. But as soon as I can remember an instance where it worked, I'll blog about it.

And then you'll be sorry you ever doubted me. You might be so sorry you wind up in a bad mood.

Listening To: Clouds Taste Metallic by The Flaming Lips