Parenting Blog

"The more we witness our emotional chain reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.  It becomes a way of life to stay awake, slow down, and notice."  -- Pema Chodron

Consider the last time you got angry at your child.  What led up to it?  Too little sleep?  Too much pressure?  Rushing? Worrying? The repetition of a situation that had been annoying you for awhile? 

Most likely, your upset built from a a series of smaller annoyances that sent you into a downward spiral.  Somewhere in there were some negative thoughts: "We'll never get there on time...I knew this wouldn't work out...He always does this, I'm so fed up!....I wish they would do what I say without fighting about it, just this once...What part of NO don't they understand? ....I didn't sign on for this.....With this much attitude now, I don't want to see her at 14!"

What if you monitored your thoughts and noticed the start of the downhill slide?  Could you catch that first negative thought and reframe it?  It takes real attention, and the commitment to see things more positively.  But you might create miracles.