Mum’s genius hack to stop losing your temper

Mum-of-three Kelly Holmes was sick of yelling at her kids.

Fed-up of the cycle of anger and then shame after losing it at her young daughters, the 39-year-old devised a parenting trick – and it’s changed her life.

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The mum from Austin, Texas, has revealed there’s one simple way she’s stopped herself from losing her temper, and it involves the humble hairband.

Sharing her method on her blog The (Reformed) Idealist Mom, Kelly’s parenting hack has since been read by half a million parents

“Find 5 hair ties that will be comfortable to wear around your wrist,” Kelly wrote on her blog.

“When your kids wake up in the morning, put the hair ties around one of your wrists.”

This part is important, says Kelly, who says the hair ties need to be a meaningful visual cue, so it’s important not to wear them all the time.

“If you catch yourself snapping at your kiddo, move one hair tie to the other wrist,” she wrote.

“But your goal is actually to make it to the end of the day with all 5 hair ties on the original wrist.”

For those parents who end up losing their hair ties, it’s ok – there’s a way to get them back. Simply do something to reconnect with your child, like give them a hug or share a giggle.

Kelly explains there’s actually a science behind this hack.

“Research shows that to have a healthy relationship, for every one negative interaction you need 5 positive interactions to balance that out. It’s called the Magic 5:1 Ratio,” she says on her blog.

It’s been a lifesaver for Kelly, who like any other mum, often succumbed to the pressures of day-to-day parenting.

“Ever since I became a mother to three kids, I've struggled to keep my temper in check. One day, I just broke and completely lost it,” she told the Daily Mail.

"After that day, I resolved to never let it happen again. I threw myself into researching all the science behind how to form healthy habits, but instead of focusing on eating more vegetables or exercising, I applied the behaviour change tricks I found to the goal of finding more happiness as a parent."

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