If someone or something puts you in a grey place it will rub off on the children and they will feel grey too. The way you speak to them will not be considerate but sharp and when giving them direction they will hear the voice of a sergeant major not their adoring mummy. Disagreements and harsh words may materialise! It can be a slippery slope.

So how can you avoid this happening. The first step is to recognise your bad mood – what happened to you that made you grumpy – if it was not the fault of the children - rationalise the mood and throw away the negative feeling. Replace the bad mood instead by concentrating on what you were doing with the children and do it with a smile and enthusiasm. Try and get rid of the negative energy so your children don’t pick up on it. You don’t all want to be in a bad place together.


Naomi Richards, The Kids Coach, provides life coaching for children who need help with their behavioural and emotional issues. She provides a space for children to talk confidentially about why they are unhappy and helps them resolve their problems in an interactive, creative and supportive way. Naomi helps children through parent separation and divorce, self-esteem problems, friendship issues and any problems they have at home or at school. She can be contacted via www.thekidscoach.org.uk.