In the give and take world of parenting, frustrations and arguments happen – ones that often distract us from the joy of parenting and can leave us angry, distraught and engulfed in a cycle of “if only they would…”. Kids are pre-programmed to push our buttons, sometimes jamming them so hard that it inspires the ‘fight or flight’ instinct that drives our base actions. You know the feeling; it’s been a bad day, arguments have raged over everything from what to eat for breakfast to putting on shoes. There’s water on the floor from the bath, dinner burned in the oven while you referred yet another altercation between your angels and if you hear ‘Mom’ ONE MORE TIME….. you’re going to scream. Suddenly, your charming little ones don’t look so charming anymore, in fact, right now, at this very stressful moment… you don’t even like them that much.
It is normal… so very normal..
Honest. We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there countless times again. Yet even though this is perfectly normal, it doesn’t mean you want to remain in this emotional spot – or view your child with less than a loving light. So what can you do? Refocus. When everything builds up, taking a moment to breath and refocus can make all the difference in the world, and remind you.. ALL parts of you, especially the instinct driven part, how much there is to love about your child – even when they are being their most unlovable.
In my personal experience, I have found that I can redirect my own mindset and reset my day by appreciating the small things about my girls. The way they smile, how the sunlight looks in their hair, how they laugh, etc. There is something about it that calms me down and sends a flood of motherly hormones coursing through me – enough that I can (sometimes) turn my yell around and speak with love and even patience. It doesn’t always work, but for the times it does, the exercise is invaluable.
Get back to the ‘loving you’ by appreciating the small things about your child.
Below are 10 things to think about that can change the course of your thoughts and reconnect to that loving part of you – 10 things you can love and appreciate about your child today.
[…] not identifiable pictures. Several of my blog posts feature pictures of them, like This is 4, and 10 Things to Appreciate about Your Child Today. Both of these posts feature pictures of my youngest – but they are done in such a way that […]