Truth for the Trenches

The kids are whining. Your car broke down. You are late. Your boss needs you to re-do the report. The dinner burned.  We hear:  “You are a bad mom.” “You don’t deserve a nice car.” “You are always late.” “You can’t do anything right at this job.” “Your husband will be disappointed again.” We stop fighting. We let the broken car, the obstinate kids and the dishes in the sink win. We give them power they were never meant to have. Power to ruin our day and power to define us.  Three years ago I yelled at my kids constantly. I could tell you that it wasn’t the correct response in a situation. I was drowning and didn’t see the life boat floating right next to me.  The kids didn’t listen. When they ignored me, disobeyed or yelled at me I heard… “They don’t care what you say” “It doesn’t matter if you discipline them” “It doesn’t matter what you do” “You will never make them happy” “They don’t love you” We put on our own...

What seems so normal within the walls of our house – eating crackers with peanut butter, mayo, and pickle relish, wearing costumes, or using family nick-names – can all be threatened by social norms when our kids go to school or play with friends. When kids are young they don’t think about other people’s opinions, but this slowly changes as they grow. Join me over at Parent.co for a list of some of my favorite books for teaching little ones how to be confident in who they are and how to treat others who are not the same as you.