The Frustration Bucket: A Parenting Hack That Changed The Game For Me:
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You may have noticed I’ve been very quiet on socials lately. For the past three weeks, I pressed pause on everything. Life felt like a sinking ship heading straight to the bottom of the abyss, and I knew something had to change.
After sitting down to figure out why I felt so overwhelmed, I came up with something I now call The Frustration Bucket. This analogy was a total game-changer, and I knew I had to share it with all my fellow mumma's.
What Is the Frustration Bucket?
Imagine you have a bucket—I call mine the Frustration Bucket.
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Every stress, every overwhelming situation, every tiny frustration in your day goes into that bucket.
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If we don’t manage it, the bucket fills up. Eventually, it overflows—and that’s when burnout, tears, and mum-guilt hit.
The key to managing your bucket is:
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Identify what’s filling it
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Find ways to lighten the load
Step 1: Identify What’s In Your Bucket
Here’s a peek at what was overflowing my bucket:
| Stress Factor | Why? | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| House cluttered + laundry chaos | Solo parenting + caregiver burnout | Hire a cleaner fortnightly during deployments + Create a strict home schedule |
| Christian’s aggression toward Grace | Lacking 1:1 time | Alternate preschool days + 30 min 1:1 each night + fill his “love cup” |
| Zero "Me" Time | Giving everything to my family, nothing back to myself | Join the gym + Higher Education + 1 additional preschool day added |
| Constant noise | Normal kid behaviour but it was causing overwhelm due to overstimulation. | Noise-cancelling headphones + Morning mindfulness routine , “tap in tap out” System |
| Chaos getting kids in and out of the car | Fighting, screaming, honking the horn and pressing all the buttons | Line up at garage, one-by-one entry when called. small reward for good behaviour. |
| Ben away for long periods of time | Loneliness + lack of adult conversation/ Interactions | Schedule video calls with family, coffee dates with friends, Mental health check-ins with a therapist |
| Overwhelming mornings | Broken sleep, 10,000 demands before I've even opened my eyes. | Join the 5am club, morning mindfulness routine, quiet coffee and breakfast with the beautiful Darwin sunrise |
Step 2: Create Solutions
Once I saw my stress laid out like this, I started making small, intentional changes.
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We created a daily routine with clear tasks for everyone.
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I added small rewards (chocolate chips!) to encourage positive behaviour.
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I committed to me time, even if it was just a sunrise coffee before the kids woke up.
The result? Within three weeks, our house went from chaos to calm. I even had three straight days without tantrums—a miracle in this season of life!
Why This Works
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It gives your brain clarity in the chaos
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It helps you see the problem instead of drowning in it
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It creates small wins that bring big changes over time
This exercise saved my sanity and is helping bring our home back to harmony. If your current routine isn’t working, give the Frustration Bucket a try—you might just find the peace you’ve been searching for. ❤️
💡 Free Printable: Frustration Bucket Worksheet
To make this easier for you, I created a Frustration Bucket Worksheet:
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Identify your stress factors
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Write down why they happen
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Brainstorm realistic solutions
You can print it out, stick it on your fridge, and start emptying that bucket today!
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0682/9690/0655/files/Frustration_Bucket_Exercise.docx?v=1753870517
✨ Your Turn!
I would love to hear from you, mumma! 💛
Have you ever felt like your Frustration Bucket was about to overflow?
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What are some of the biggest things that end up in your bucket?
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Have you found any small habits or routines that help you keep the calm in your home?
Share your thoughts, tips, or even your own bucket story in the comments below. 💬
Your insight might just help another mum who is reading this and feeling the same way.
Let’s encourage each other as we walk this motherhood journey together! 🌸