How Are We Talking To Our Kids?

This morning, as I was having yet another conversation with my daughter about her attitude, a realization smacked me in the face.

Sometimes I talk to strangers (coworkers, friends, clients) nicer than I talk to my kids.

That was really hard to just type, that realization was really really hard to admit. It smacked me really hard. Why on earth do I talk to a stranger nicer than I am talking to my own child?? I adore my children, what the actual f&*k am I doing?

In the heat of the morning routine, my daughter wasn’t listening to me AGAIN. She was going in what felt like slow motion. I got snippy with her, I had things that I needed to finish. In return, she responded to me in the same manner. She mirrored my behavior. I mean after all, that’s all my kids are doing daily. What am I teaching her? Am I teaching her to talk to those she loves like that?

How you say it is just as important as what you are saying.

I am human. I get frustrated, I get frazzled more than I’d like to admit. And most of the time the people that get the brunt of my frazzled, are the ones that I love the most. While this isn’t right, it’s the truth. Guilty as charged.

Point noted, tomorrow I will try harder. Thanks Sweet R.