Parenting Through Mistakes

Throughout the journey of parenthood, you come across times where you feel a need to pause life. "I don't know how to handle this situation"; "I'm too tired to deal with this"; "I need to deal with my own issues first before I can handle theirs!" But parenting does not stop, does not rewind, does not fast-forward and does not pause. Parenting plays, conitnuously, whether you want it to or not.

So, instead of taking on another load of guilt when I parent through difficult times, I've come to discover the value of these opportunities. Instead of wishing that that rough day never existed, I reflect on how it could have gone better, what I have learned from the situation, what my children have learned from the situation, and what I should do now to encourage a growing relationship with my children.

When I'm yelling at my children while driving through traffic, a warning goes off inside that reminds me that my children are learning by my example. So, along with the yelling, I add to it, "I'm sorry, kids, this traffic is stressing me out. I need it to be quiet while I concentrate. I shouldn't have yelled at you." And they get it.

It doesn't mean that they didn't watch and learn from my yelling - believe me, I hear plenty in return - but they also have learned that yelling doesn't make others feel good, and expressing your emotions in a different way is a lot better for everyone. So, I can have them recall back to *my* mistakes and how it made them feel. I can have them remember what made them feel more inclined to listen to me, and they remember how to express their feelings in ways that are respectful. They also learn that when you make a mistake, you humble yourself in apology and admit that you were wrong.

I think this is what is most important, and why I think that parenting *through* mistakes makes for great life lessons. Moms are sometimes wrong, and if we can admit it and ask forgiveness, our children will learn the best life lessons through our examples.