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Dr Tired and Cranky

Did you know: I have a PhD in being tired and cranky.  I’m not an expert and many things, but on being tired and cranky, I qualify for an award.

🙁 Gone for days without sleep? Yep done a field study on that.

🙁 Risen to feel like vomiting because of fatigue? Yep, experienced that.

🙁 Woken up with a splitting headache?  Many times.

🙁 Three letters: PMT? Attend monthly meeting.

🙁 Struggle to make dinner for fear of falling asleep in the cooking pot? What’s that on my face?

🙁 Can’t put two words together? All. ____ . Time.

I’m tired and cranky — a lot — and sometimes, I wonder how I’m going to get through the day. Visions of skipping around with a child holding a balloon quickly dissipates after a few dodgy night’s sleep.  Instead, I end up snapping at everyone and everything in my path.  What I’ve found to be most helpful is to be brutally honest, with myself and my children.  I’ve discovered my children to be truly compassionate and understanding.

Dr Tired and Cranky tips:

🙂 If you are short with your child, make sure they know you are not angry with them.

🙂 Be prepared to say sorry.

🙂 On really tired and cranky days, just do the basics around the house.

🙂 Have a pick-me-up.  On a extra-tired day (okay, almost everyday) I stop at a drive-through  Zarraffa’s for coffee.

🙂 Love the Moment especially on these days. Look for little things to enjoy: a sweet smile; a lone flower; a giggle; a touch.

🙂 Read books to your child/ren.  When I’m so tired, I can hardly stand, I sit and read to my children for hours.  It makes me wonder if being tired is actually a really good thing sometimes.

🙂 Always have a spare frozen meal.  I admit to buying frozen lasagna for cranky days, but if you love cooking, make a meal every now and again to freeze.

🙂 If you can, have a nap. (Okay, okay — that was a silly suggestion).

🙂 Light a candle.

Must. Sleep. Now.

Related Be A Fun Mum Links

Other Be A Fun Mum Posts

I Stay Up Too Late

Terrible Mother Moments

Dr Tired and Cranky

A Tip for Tired Mums

What Sort of Mother Am I?

Be A Fun (Business) Mum

Light a Candle: Fight the Down Days

35 Comments

  • Reply
    Tweets that mention Dr Tired and Cranky : Be A Fun Mum -- Topsy.com
    July 10, 2010 at 10:57 pm

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kelly Long Burstow, Be A Fun Mum. Be A Fun Mum said: Dr Tired and Cranky http://beafunmum.com/2010/07/dr-tired-and-cranky/ http://fb.me/CQiGxQpL […]

  • Reply
    Sarah
    July 10, 2010 at 10:58 pm

    I am Dr Tired & Cranky too and completely related to your post.

    Just shipped off the little billies to Grandmas overnight, so I could have a sleep in, enjoy missing my kiddies and finding my ‘happy face’ again!

    Thanks for letting me know I am not alone, and I love your strategies!!

  • Reply
    Christie - Childhood 101
    July 10, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    I hear you, Mrs Tired and Cranky has been living at my house 24/7 lately! Loving your tips.

  • Reply
    Marita
    July 11, 2010 at 8:56 am

    oh yeah. so there.

    I had months on end of constant nausea last year and it took my doctor ages and many tests to work out it was simple sleep deprivation.

  • Reply
    Ash
    July 11, 2010 at 9:08 am

    Hi from another Mrs Tired and Cranky! Not today, but on lots of days! I find it so much worse if I stay at home, so when Mrs Tired and Cranky’s around we head out for a walk or to a playground!

  • Reply
    Toushka
    July 11, 2010 at 4:03 pm

    Just found your blog thanks to Blog This.
    love your tips in this post. I have a stockpile of frozen leftovers and meals in the freezer for these occasions – which seem to be more often than not at the moment due to pregnancy.
    I find it helps me to have a shower asap in the morning (i used to wait until my son was having a nap). And get out of the house…. if I can be bothered.

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 11, 2010 at 8:53 pm

      Welcome to my blog! I’m so glad you stopped by. I love your tips and I’ll hop over to your blog now to say hi!

  • Reply
    BookChook
    July 11, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    I have a confession – you made me laugh! How can you still have a great sense of humour, when your PhD is in T and C?

    Okay, once I got over your face in the dinner, and the missing word in All The Time, I realized these are great strategies for the lousy days I’m sure we all have. Especially reading to the kids!

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 11, 2010 at 8:58 pm

      I’m glad I made you laugh. If I don’t find humour in the situation, I cry. I need to read more to the children for hours… even when I’m not tired…

  • Reply
    Michelle
    July 11, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    hot chip sangas for dinner (thats me tonight!!!)
    Take B12 or a good B vitamin.
    Check your health and your diet – foot does impact on crankiness.
    Love all you helpful tips here
    xx

  • Reply
    Mummywhisperer
    July 12, 2010 at 12:01 am

    So with you at the moment – relying on a drink called ‘purdeys’ to make it through the day! Xx

  • Reply
    Janet
    July 12, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Yep one thing I don’t miss is the sleep deprivation … my heart goes out to you … been there, done that, bought the tshirt!

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 18, 2010 at 8:34 pm

      LOL… you make me laugh Janet… So, you survived so we will too?

  • Reply
    ecoMILF
    July 12, 2010 at 8:41 pm

    LOL. I am the queen of tired and cranky as of late because I have only 5 weeks to go in pregnancy, never sleep more than 2 hours straight because i am so uncomfortable and then when I finally fall asleep I am woken up by my little one yanking at my hair and saying “Up mama! Up!”. x

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 18, 2010 at 8:34 pm

      Oh man! You WOULD BE! And then you will have a newborn to deal with… 😀

  • Reply
    Meegan
    July 13, 2010 at 11:02 am

    Kelly, I really needed this post today of all days – you must have known it was just the perfect day to post about lack of sleep!

    Last night/this morning saw Marc and I with one hysterical, inconsolable almost two year old, who had vommited in his bed, had a high temp and a nasty (but not unusual!) bout of hives (damn you, new awesome park!!!). I got pretty juch no sleep from 1am onwards and Marc had perhaps a little more than that 🙂 The worst part (conveniently forgetting that we didn’t go to bed until 11pm..!)? We still have to get up early and take care of the other two children and go to work etc etc – no time to catch up on much needed sleep today! All I want is CHOCOLATE and the child who doesn’t like to sit and watch ABC2, to SIT AND WATCH ABC2 for just an hour!!!

    Hope your day is a great one 🙂

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 18, 2010 at 8:32 pm

      Oh man! What a shocker. I’m glad I was able to encourage you. It’s tough when the children are young hey… I think lack of sleep is one of the hardest things about being a Mum.

  • Reply
    Maureen
    July 18, 2010 at 9:29 am

    I had to comment on this post…because i can sooo relate. I am tired a lot of times and get short with my little boys at times…and when I have a melt down in front of them I feel sooo awful, but then I apologize to them say I’m having a bad day and need to lay down. will you excuse Mommie for a few minutes…then I go to my room and have a good cry…and then I feel better….but I think they may already think Mommie is crazy….no just tired.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Maureen 🙂

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      July 18, 2010 at 8:30 pm

      They really do understand though, don’t they. Thanks for stopping by Maureen. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

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  • Reply
    Stacey K
    November 18, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    Kelly I had to google “Be a fun mum Dr Grumpy” to find & reread this post because I went off the deep end while cooking dinner & had a big huge yelling, screaming & even hitting 🙁 fight with my 7.5year old. I needed to reread the suggestions you made & also see that I am not the only tired & cranky mum about (have a supermum SIL!). Facepalm! Don’t cook dinner during witching hour, after being out after school, when hubby isn’t home & baby is having her first solids & toddler isnt 100% chaos will & did reign supreme! Toddler didn’t eat her dinner, mine is sitting getting cold while I breastfeed & 7 year old would have been happy with rice bubbles!

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      November 20, 2010 at 8:25 am

      Oh honey… sounds like a stressful afternoon! I’ve had many the same. I was just thing yesterday about something you touched on here. It’s rarely just one thing that makes for a really feral time. It’s usually a combination of things… like the ones you mentioned…. I feel a post coming on lol. I hope you are feeling better today.

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