Tips to avoid pre-dinner tantrums

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Tips to avoid pre-dinner tantrums
Avoid the evening meltdowns with these sure-fire strategies from Beth Howard

Just an hour ago, you were confidently giving a budget report or happily chasing your toddler at the park. Now you’re consoling a crying child and stirring a pot on the stove, close to tears yourself. Welcome to the witching hour, when the day’s stresses catch up with the whole family, turning well-mannered children into little terrors.

The witching hour is not just the province of newborn babies; it can affect every member of the household. “Not many of us are at our best in the hour before dinner,” explains psychologist Dr Carol Baicker-McKee. “Blood sugar is at its lowest and fatigue is high. Families are in transition and kids are often at their neediest. It’s no small wonder that this time of day can feel like a lethal experience for parents.”

No mum gets a free pass from the pre-dinner dramas. Working mums desperately want some time to relax, and stay-at-home mums may yearn for quiet time alone. How do you switch gears while keeping the peace, without resorting to sauvignon blanc and earplugs? Start with a few of these ideas…

Photo by Getty Creative Mar 23, 2011