Can I Get A Refill?

Of the living water that is. STAT.

Friends,

Can you throw some Grace in there too? Today the struggle is real and if I can be honest, it has been for the past couple of days. I mean my cup definitely feels empty.

Gentle parenting tested my patience at 12am yesterday, and I suddenly began to question it all. All as in, if the gentle parenting was even worth it. Listen, I know it is, it just doesn’t change the struggle of remaining gentle when everything in and around you is screaming “Flip all this ish over.“

As much as I wish I could always get the gentle parenting right, I know there are times I fall short. Monday night was one of them. No one tests my gentle parenting more, than my second child.

Transitions can be hard on kids. Like even small ones, I get it. I’m all for talking it through but sometimes there’s no reasoning with them. It’s in those moments, you see what gentle parenting is about.

We’re all talking about the need to break generational curses when it comes to parenting, but not about how hard it is to remain gentle when you‘re still learning how to be gentle. And not just gentle in parenting, but with yourself as a whole. We don’t talk enough about how although parenthood is such a blessing, it can be hard as hell.

And really that just goes back to how two things can be true at the same time.

What I learned by failing to be successful at gentle parenting this week is this:

Sometimes and really by sometimes I mean 9 times out of 10, we (parents) need a time out, to process our own feelings. If we actually did that, we’d have a clearer picture of how to tackle the tantrum at hand.

If we act during our frustration, we’re more likely to fail at gentle parenting. The one thing we always have to remember is that, our tiny humans have big emotions that they’re still learning how to process. They learn how to process them, in how we respond to them. So it's important that our responses are always filled with grace and love. Not anger and frustration.

Easier said than done. Trust me I know.

I don't know about your children, but once my daughter is done throwing a tantrum, she hits me with the "I love you, Mommy."

And of course I say it back. But in that moment, I always remember it's not personal. She's just trying to learn how to process her emotions but the "I love you" feels a little toxic. Lol JK..

Anywho!

Here's to getting back on the wagon and continuing the journey of gentle parenting.

Let's chat soon.

-HH