How to Become a Calm Parent
Last week was quite the adventure in parenthood. Imagine this scene: I had just stepped out of the shower, still wrapped in my towel, when my 5-year-old son came charging in, pleading for me to tie his rolling skates. And to add to the chaos, I was also trying to catch up on my favorite podcast about writing books. Can you say multitasking at its finest?
In those moments of chaos, I often find myself saying yes to my kids without a second thought. But halfway through tying those skates, frustration hit me like a ton of bricks. Balancing the towel, the skates, and absorbing writing wisdom all at once was pushing me to my limits. I was on the verge of losing my cool. Thankfully, I hit pause on the podcast, said a quick prayer. “Please, God help me”, and started square breathing, right in the midst of tying those skates. 😂
Surprisingly, it worked like magic. Tension eased away, and I managed to finish tying those skates without snapping. But here’s the kicker: I realized I had said yes at the wrong moment. Parenting, my friends, is all about choices. We can train ourselves to respond rather than react impulsively. Remember when we were kids and we learned not to hit when we were angry? It’s the same principle.
With practice and the help of God’s Holy Spirit, those blow-ups become less frequent. And guess what? We can equip ourselves with tools to cool down, regain composure, and tackle problems with a clear head.
3 Key Takeaways to Help Parent with Calm:
- Self-awareness and Pause: Recognizing our emotions and taking a moment to pause can prevent reactive behavior and help us respond more intentionally. Check out this video for more tips on parenting with patience.
- Tools for Emotional Regulation: Equipping ourselves with tools for emotional regulation is crucial. From square breathing to prayer, these techniques help us stay calm in stressful situations.
- Parenting with Grace and Growth Mindset: Remember to give yourself grace in parenting and embrace a growth mindset. Learning to respond instead of react takes practice and effort, but it’s so worth it!
3 Steps for Growing as a Calm Parent:
- Step one: Spend 15 minutes brainstorming ideas to help you chill out in the moment.
- Step two: Pick your top three techniques and start practicing them when you feel your patience wearing thin. Let me know which ones you choose!
- Step three: Exciting news! Keep an eye out for my Raising Disciples Bootcamp, going on sale later this week! It’s a 7-day roadmap to get your child to listen the FIRST time, and it’s all done with love and grace.