This time in our lives is fraught with sadness, fear, exhaustion, anger, incredulity — you name it. As a result, it’s easy to become short-tempered and reactive, even with those we love and cherish.
In our classes, we often talk about the concept of a “do-over,” as in “Ooof, that sounded harsh; I’m sorry, can I have a do-over?” Hitting the rewind button is important for several reasons:
- We’re courageously modeling our imperfections; we make mistakes, own them, and, most importantly, make repairs.
- We’re modeling respectful communication, even on the heels of an unkind remark.
- When we’ve wandered off course with a rude or snippy remark, we don’t need to continue down that path. Life is challenging enough right now. When you find you’re off-course, correct and redirect.
There is no script for this place that we’re in right now; we’ve never been here before. Consider adopting a mantra; perhaps this one that we recommend using with kids: “We’ve done hard things before, we’ll get through this.” Most of all, let’s be kind to ourselves; we’re in this together, and we’re doing the best we can right now.
It’s easy to feel like we’re the only ones having challenging experiences with our kids — especially now when we’re feeling isolated. We can assure you, all parents are on a journey, and we’re more alike than different. Join a 4-week Master Class, connect with other parents, and get the support you need.