The Meaning in Life

Thanks for the honest reflective look at the challenges of parenting! Although my kids are grown and away in college and grad school, your post brought memories flooding back. I teach kindergarten and have found myself in similar scenarios, reflecting later on the best way to handle the situation. I think it's very important that psychologists like you write about these "being human" challenges of parenting to validate the day to day struggles in a way that parents can relate to. Your humorous example illustrates an important strategy of analyzing an event, the desired outcome and how to do it differently the next time! I have found that if such an "unplanned" incident happens in my classroom ( such as raising my voice above my normally calm one), I use the opportunity to have a class meeting to express my feelings about what happened. I let my students know that at times I too am frustrated and must take a few minutes to breathe and think before I speak. They often take a "few minutes" themselves and are learning an important skill in relating positively with others. Thanks again. Your post hit the mark!