5 Ways to Cope with the Teething Monster

Kerrigan popped 4 teeth last week and the effects of that are felt full-blown in this house. My house which we’ve nicknamed Piles. (Ya know because everywhere I turn there’s another pile of randomness lying around.) Teething is a miserable moment in motherhood that feels like a life sentence. With Georgia, I didn’t think the teething would ever end. I later learned she actually took it easy on me by getting all 20 teeth in 12 months. Georgia cut her first tooth at 5.5 months and was completely done by 18 months. That ended up being the best case scenario.

I don’t know if Kerrigan will follow suit but I’d like to offer some words of wisdom if you’re in the same predicament. This post is not going to be about all the different teething remedies on the market. Honestly, I’ve tried them all and never found much luck other than good old fashion Motrin. I’m just here to offer some solidarity and ways to cope with teething on your end.

Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game

Having a baby who is teething can feel like your once sweet angel is now the devil in the flesh. My daughter lights up my life but she also wears me down with the incessant crying and needs to be held when she’s teething. Don’t let this moment in time define you as a mother. You have an amazing baby and he needs to get teeth to eat chicken wings one day. Plain and simple. A lot of phases in life will just need to work themselves out but teething is at the top of the list.

This Too Shall Pass

I assure you this will not last forever. I know that can be really annoying to hear when you’re in the thick of it but it bears repeating. Sweet angel baby will be back and there will be intermittent weeks of bliss mixed in the year of despair. Just when you think you can’t bear to live through one more restless night or insufferable day, your munchkin will give you a much-needed break. I have thought of the fictitious future for way too long and it doesn’t ever come to fruition. One day, not too far from now, your babe will have all her teeth and this constant guessing game of what’s wrong will be over. HAHA! If only that were true:)

Cut Yourself a Break

During the seasons of life that test our patience, we have to show ourselves a little grace. If you’re having a rough week, don’t feel bad for serving frozen pizza for dinner and string cheese and Goldfish for breakfast. Don’t beat yourself up for not having a super clean house or all the laundry folded and put away. At Casa de Piles, we typically do not wear folded clothes. We wear clothes pulled from a giant heap of clean clothes in the laundry room. To be honest, this is not just the case when we have a teething baby on our hands. It’s clean though so what do I care?

Know when to Fold ‘Em

These are the times you need to take people up on their offers for free babysitting. Ask Grandma to come by for a few hours while you get out of the house. Have a cousin begging to watch your babe at every family party? Now is the time to hit her up. Beg, borrow and steal some babysitting and you will feel like a new woman. If your family doesn’t live near you but they want to help, they can always bankroll a babysitter for a few hours. It’s so easy to find someone on sites like Sittercity or Care.com these days. Even if it’s just two hours, it will feel good to get away during an especially fussy time of day.

Treat Yo Self

A pick me up is the best way to ride out the teething monster. Whether it’s a new book, a long needed manicure or a girls night out, do something for yourself. You can’t fully serve your family if you’re drained all the time. Self-care is not selfish. So hand the reins over to your partner and dip out.

I hope those tips could help you in some way or at least offer a fresh perspective. One day we’ll look back on these times and laugh that a problem so insignificant could cause so much turmoil. Wait, no we won’t. We’ll always remember how much teething sucked and we’ll take joy in knowing it’s over.

Taran Conwell

Taran is a self-proclaimed undomestic mom. She thrives as a stay-at-home-mom by consistently carving out time for herself and practicing realistic self-care. As a busy mom of 3, she knows that if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy! With a focus on how SAHMs can carve out time for themselves everyday, she teaches fellow SAHMs how they can do the same.