"When things get chaotic, I grab a pen and record what's happened and why," says Christine Louise Hohlbaum of Paunzhausen, Germany, a mom of two. "It often defuses the situation for me immediately."

Writing out the ups and downs of life as a parent can help you vent, problem-solve, and track your child's development. "We get frustrated, angry, and overwhelmed, with little opportunity for an immediate outlet," says Hohlbaum. Give yourself one and -- bonus -- your kid will also see a productive way to handle frustration.

Photo by Ken Banks (CC Licensed)