How to recover from a bad start to the day as an HSP parent

Let me paint you a picture of a recent day in my household. It was my kids’ first week back to school, and my two boys were fresh off their summer “routine” of playing and reading in the morning until it was time to leave for preschool and summer camps - usually around 9 am. Suddenly, we had to be at school at 7:30 am, dressed, breakfasted, and with lunches and backpacks prepped. Yes, I did follow *some* of my own advice in my “Back to School Seasons for Sensitive Parents” blog post, but we were all still having trouble adjusting to an earlier wake-up time, and the fast-paced mornings required during the school year.

The day did not start well. I woke up feeling tired and stressed about the day ahead, and my kids had forgotten about their morning responsibilities (at ages 8 and 5, they are finally capable of dressing themselves and fixing themselves cereal). There were also, understandably, some complicated feelings around being back at school again. I made multiple requests for them to eat their breakfast, put on socks and shoes, etc. We were all becoming grumpier by the minute. By the time we headed out the door to school, it was clear that we all needed a reset from the rocky start to our day.

So: how did we recover?  

First off, we got outside. Thankfully, my kids’ elementary school is about a 7 minute walk away. Even at a brisk pace, we were able to stop and notice the beautiful clouds, the spider in her newly spun web, and the warmth of the sun already shining on our skin. This moment of mindfulness in nature did wonders for our mindset and mood.

Secondly, we talked about our tough morning a little bit. My older son uses the phrase “I’m going to try to turn my day around.” I absolutely love this phrase, because it acknowledges both that the day has not been going well, and that we are capable of changing the trajectory of our day/mood. We noticed what had not worked well and identified how to make the next morning smoother - “tomorrow, I’m going to make sure I get dressed and brush my teeth before coming downstairs and playing.”

Lastly, we forgave each other –and I forgave myself – for being grumpy. We acknowledged that it is a tough transition from our looser summer routine to our more rigid fall schedule. We laughed at ourselves a little bit.

With younger kids, “turning your day around” might look a bit different. That said, the trifecta of getting some fresh air, acknowledging the challenges/stressors, and engaging in self-compassion and forgiveness works for HSP parents across the board.

Have you had a tough start to your day recently? What worked for you to “turn your day around?” I’d love to hear your thoughts & ideas in the comments below! If this blog was helpful to you, consider subscribing to our weekly newsletter, so you don’t miss out on future blog posts to support you as an HSP Parent!

written by Amy Lajiness, HSP Parent Coach and Educator