When I had my first baby, my mum gave me a piece of advice.
‘Whenever the baby is cranky, and has been fed, isn’t tired or sick, just add water.’
What she meant was to give the baby a bath, or water play when a toddler, or a drink of water.
You know what? This worked!
There were so many times when the kids were cranky and I’d give them a bath, or put some water outside for them to play with, usually they had been drinking plenty of water, but sometimes a drink, would put their world right again.
Sometimes, I would have a bath with them and we’d all calm down.
It was such a simple thing, and it worked.
As an adult, I’ve noticed the same thing applies to me.
If I’m exhausted and cranky and feeling dysregulated, often going in a hot shower makes all the difference.
The bath in the house we live in now isn’t that great, but in a previous house, a bath would have the same impact.
Or having a drink (I can’t stand the taste of water, but a cup of tea, or some other drink, often helps).
Or getting out the water sprayers and spraying water.
Or even putting water in the sink and doing some dishes, though I do prefer putting water in a tub and soaking my feet…
Yes, the transition to the shower can be challenging, especially getting out again, but being in the water helps so much to start getting the world looking right again. If that transition isn’t happening, some other sort of water play (yes, even doing dishes) can help.
Next time you feel a bit dysregulated, try adding water, in whatever way suits you.
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