My son Bear used to throw terrible fits in public. One time, he screamed to high heaven while pulling every article of clothing in sight as I attempted to leave a department store. I was mortified!
And then in the parking lot…he bit me.
Lord Jesus, save us all…for reals, I almost transformed into the Hulk.
I cried all the way home and then took so many deep breaths I gave myself hiccups.
I sent Bear straight to bed and he slept for THREE HOURS. He had been exhausted.
A New Perspective
After that day, I started realizing that the majority of Bear’s “fits” were actually just him reacting to stress.
He was overwhelmed. He was experiencing ANXIETY.
Ah! A word most of us know all too well.
Our Little Ones Have So Much Thrown at Them
Listen. Our kids have far too much thrown at them each day. They are surrounded by toys and all those toys make noise and are painted 117 colors. They have sports and preschool and extracurricular activities and expectations galore. Even their shampoo has more ingredients than a salad bar, and at every. single. moment. we offer them stimulation.
Enough!
I am realizing that I don’t have to “parent like everyone else”. And you know what? I’m loving the freedom in that.
Simplify
Get rid of HALF your toys. This might sound totally insane, but I promise you won’t miss not picking them up anymore. Let’s be crazy together. Donate them!
Strive to stay home 4 nights a weeks. More is GREAT. Less isn’t.
Eliminate three small stressors in YOUR life. For me this means, not matching socks, turning off all the noise, and getting outside. (I know…I live on the wild side.)
Live the Life YOU Want
You don’t have to do life like everyone else. Your kids have their own unique struggles and triggers and stressors and STRENGTHS, and so do you. And parents, we are the PERFECT people to help our kids, because we love them most and know them best.
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