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We all know there’s no manual on how to raise our kids, but over the years we’re learning from various scenarios what works and what doesn’t and there aren’t really any shortcuts you can take.

Here are some steps you can take to make your life a little less stressful from sheknows.com:

1. Start by taking a step back

If you have a screaming infant, a tantrum-bound toddler, or a tween with too much attitude, it’s hard to stay calm. So make sure your child is someplace safe — a crib or a safe room of the house for a younger child, denied access to car keys for an older one — and take ten minutes for yourself.

If you need to run the shower to drown out the screams, so be it. But take ten minutes to pull yourself together. Call your best friend, update your Facebook status, or even paint your nails. Do something that will take your mind off the immediate situation.

2. Set a timer

When you go back to the kids, set a timer. You can handle the crying, the homework battles, the whining, or whatever for ten minutes, right? You might find that it’s petered out by the time the timer dings. If not, the timer itself often provides distraction for younger children. For older ones, you can simply say, “I’m sorry, your time is up. You can move on, or you can go to your room to continue.”

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