yep. the hardest part of being a parent is the patience to understand, and treat children as the underdeveloped humans they are. not everyone can do it
Also good to remember that almost nobody can do it everyday. It’s definitely good to be consistent with one’s approach, however all parents are human and will lose patience at times.
I’ve fucked this up a few times and snapped at my kids for things that it isn’t reasonable to expect of them. It’s really hard when they show maturity beyond their age and developmental level in some aspects because you can almost forget they aren’t fully developed and so the behavior can feel intentional. Like you get this flash of thinking, “I know the kid knows this is wrong,” and if you aren’t mindful in that moment, you can handle it wrong.
I have always made sure to calm myself down and then go talk to them about it. I apologize for losing my temper and, with an emphasis on how what I did was NOT ok, explain what I was feeling and why it made me react inappropriately. I’m pretty big on making them understand that adults are fallable and make mistakes, too.
We are taking the same approach and every word you said landed with me, matched my experience.
I’ll add that this is a VERY different strategy from the approaches taken by both my partner’s and my parents.
It’s not easy, but I think we’re raising better humans than ourselves. On days when it’s exhausting and you’re burned out and you feel like you can’t do it, cling to that.
100% agree. My childhood is a haze of physical and psychological abuse… not just between the parents and kids but between the adults as well. If I’m proud of anything, it’s the success I’ve had breaking that cycle. I slip up sometimes, but I can honestly say I’ve never called either of my kids hurtful names or laid a hand on them in anger.
yep. the hardest part of being a parent is the patience to understand, and treat children as the underdeveloped humans they are. not everyone can do it
Also good to remember that almost nobody can do it everyday. It’s definitely good to be consistent with one’s approach, however all parents are human and will lose patience at times.
That’s why they say ‘it takes a village to raise one child.’
Kids don’t have a brain filter. If they hear opera, they’ll sing opera. If they hear cigarette commercials, that’s what they’ll sing.
edit = I picked the most obnoxious songs I could think of. Didn’t think I’d start a nostalgia/mandala effect thread
Cigarette commercials? This man is straight from the 60s.
Oh bless your heart. We had cigarette commercials into the 90s.
Talking radio? I dunno, I don’t remember them and according the the magic box in my hand legislation banning them passed in the 70s. I’m no expert.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3i3yx4
Is that a radio jingle?
Oh sorry I was clicking through before I saw your comment, I must have clicked off the Winston one when I copied the link https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7zw3ss
Interesting
true that… some of my darkest hours
I’ve fucked this up a few times and snapped at my kids for things that it isn’t reasonable to expect of them. It’s really hard when they show maturity beyond their age and developmental level in some aspects because you can almost forget they aren’t fully developed and so the behavior can feel intentional. Like you get this flash of thinking, “I know the kid knows this is wrong,” and if you aren’t mindful in that moment, you can handle it wrong.
I have always made sure to calm myself down and then go talk to them about it. I apologize for losing my temper and, with an emphasis on how what I did was NOT ok, explain what I was feeling and why it made me react inappropriately. I’m pretty big on making them understand that adults are fallable and make mistakes, too.
I don’t know…it feels like it’s working well.
We are taking the same approach and every word you said landed with me, matched my experience.
I’ll add that this is a VERY different strategy from the approaches taken by both my partner’s and my parents.
It’s not easy, but I think we’re raising better humans than ourselves. On days when it’s exhausting and you’re burned out and you feel like you can’t do it, cling to that.
You’re doing great. It’s worth it. Keep it up! 💚
100% agree. My childhood is a haze of physical and psychological abuse… not just between the parents and kids but between the adults as well. If I’m proud of anything, it’s the success I’ve had breaking that cycle. I slip up sometimes, but I can honestly say I’ve never called either of my kids hurtful names or laid a hand on them in anger.
That sounds like a great approach. I don’t have kids and am still working on getting better that kind of reflection and communication.
That’s the approach I hope to take someday when I have kids. I’m glad to hear it seems to be working well.
more people should hear this before they decide to have children.
but lets prevent anyone in the poorest sections of the united states from being able to make that call!
yay america!
I try very hard to be honest when talking to my kids. To that end I often say “you are being annoying, stop it”