parenting: TAKE TWO.

Last night was not my best parenting moment. My husband was away and I had tuck in with two little ones after a long day and a long week and of course, to add to the chaos, a later-than-usual tuck-in. My youngest went quietly down but, my oldest was still unbelievably ramped up. I'm sure you can imagine how things went down... picture: voice on the rise, patience waining and Mom LOSING. IT!

I failed my kids tonight because when they acted their age, I didn't act mine. I let their whining, nagging and pushing get to me but, even though that's not how I typically operate, I was still able to regroup and end the night off with a WIN...and, it only took a re-do--TAKE TWO!

I raised my voice with my oldest. She had been bopping around the room ignoring my requests to get into pajamas and get into bed. I was antagonized with "Yes, your majesty..." (her new fixation with Cinderella), which fueled my fire. I exploded. She went to bed, I left the room abruptly.

I headed downstairs feeling defeated and terrible. My patience had worn thin and I had taken it out on my child. But, instead of ending the night on a low-note, I made a conscious decision to fix things. I took a second, evaluated my poor performance and realized, I could make this better. Nothing is written in stone.

I composed myself and got my 'fix-it' game plan together and headed back upstairs. I started with an apology and an explanation that Mommy's behavior wasn't her best. She was receptive. I came armed with a big book about ponies and took five--slow, well-intentioned, 'all-about-her'--minutes. After our book, she happily snuggled into bed and made my heart sing with an 'I Love You!'. It was a nice way to regain my footing and end the night on a positive. Phew! Parenting is hard. 

We've all done it, we've lost our cool, our tempers...our MINDS! But, give yourself a break (that's what we don't often do!).

We all know parenting is hard and I'm also pretty sure the majority of us didn't graduate with degrees in Early Childhood Development. We don't always get it right but, on those nights when it all goes south, go easy on yourself! For the first time, I did...and the night still worked out. I don't want to repeat it but let's be realistic--crappy nights happen! My POINT, give yourself permission to FAIL occasionally, to take ONE MINUTE, shake it off and go back and be your best self--TAKE TWO! 

You've got this...even if its not on the first try!