you know those times you're at... a birthday party school event or even the grocery store and your kids pick that moment to act up to do the very behavior that you're at a loss for how to guide testing your parenting skills in front of a room full of people is fun right? of course kids are just being kids it's up to us how we respond of course yet "mis"behaving children in public is one of those parental nightmares none of us are immune to we can all relate to this dilemma the illusion of the "perfect parent" crumbling away before our very eyes because our children "made us look bad" plagues us all and guess what? there's no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect child we all mess up and unfortunately sometimes it will be in public when we can give ourselves + our kids that grace to be human we can let go of... embarrassment anger or resentment with our children and instead we can be ready to support the embracing of imperfections first in ourselves then in our fellow parents + children so we all learn and grow together but misbehaving kids in public wow.oh.wow. it's not easy so here's some tips + tools to stay calm + empowered: #1 know + trust in your heart that we ALL experience parenting challenges every.single.parent on planet earth no parent is ever off the hook with parenting challenges we all experience them why? because the essence of parenting isn't saying or doing the "right thing" but rather parenting is designed to help us grow both individually and collectively as a human race in order to grow + evolve we have to mess up our mistakes are the road to growth embracing our imperfections leads to self-acceptance + ultimately makes our lives easier because we're not judging ourselves with every move + every second in a day #2 check those basic needs meet the need preventatively to transform the misbehavior Hungry Angry (positive outlets to express high emotions) Lonely (connection to self + others) Tired Sick/ Stressed these basic needs when they are unmet are the root cause of "mis"behavior both ours + our children's one of the best ways to avoid parental embarrassment in public is to make sure those basic needs are met! bring well-fed + well-rested children to the grocery store if your grade schooler had birthday cake but no lunch + is way party over-stimulated watch out meeting those basic needs preventatively is always best but not always humanely possible at the least anticipate when problem behavior may begin + try to may a graceful exit before it does #3 take space away from watching eyes to remind your child of expectations it's hard to parent when there's performance pressure because other people are watching take the pressure off you + your kiddos by speaking to your children alone or in a different room when they need reminders it might not always be possible to take this time alone with your child but if it's easy to do definitely take this space alone with your child #4 support other parents we all know what it feels like to struggle as a parent in public so let's keep our eyes out for one another when you see a parent having a hard time offer them an empathetic smile or even a helping hand let them know you've been there too + it's all ok because.... we're all human learning + growing from our mistakes and helping one another in the process we support you p.s Heart-felt thanks to everyone who scheduled their 20 minute complementary coaching call. It's been a joy to speak with you all! I hope the positive parenting tools are most helpful to your family. And please remember: when you share your challenges it helps uplift others. This is the power of community. If you haven't had a change to schedule your session here, please reply to this email right away to make sure your spot is saved.
p.s.s. When I'm done with all 20 of the complementary coaching calls, I'll be compiling parents' favorite tools in a free webinar... stay tuned for more details!
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Mama Megan
Hi friends, I write from the heart to tell my life story, and the story of those in my neighborhood called life. Research shows that our children's emotional & mental health is contingent upon us parents being able to tell our life story, or "coherent narrative." This is my coherent narrative, my life story in the making, with some of what I love in life too. My goal is to share my life in a way that is real, uplifting & positive- sometimes serious, sometimes fun. In my practice, I inspire parents to empowerment through reclaiming our life stories and learning respectful discipline. My work is my offering to our children- our future. Wishing you all a happy family! Archives
May 2021
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