Many
times something your child does can make you look at the world in a whole
different way, or cherish a brief moment in time. It can be magical.
Sometimes,
though, your child will know how to push your buttons. This can make you feel
embarrassed, frustrated, or angry.
Often,
as parents, our first reaction to those situations is to yell. We can’t always
help it — that’s how our bodies respond.
The
truth is that yelling is ineffective, and may be modeling for your child how to
react in the future.
At
worst, repeated yelling at a child can affect behavior at home and performance
at school. It could even cause long-term issues.
Fortunately
there are good alternatives.
First,
forgive yourself. If you yelled at your child in frustration, just resolve that
you won’t continue to do that, and let it go.
It
has always been true that the most important time in a child’s life is the
present moment. Parents always make mistakes. Don’t tie yourself in knots for
past responses.
Then,
be very aware that you are not alone. It
can feel awful if your child throws a tantrum in a store, bites another child,
or fights hard with his or her siblings. Children do these things. It doesn’t
make you a bad parent.
Most
parents go through similar experiences, and you should take comfort in that
knowledge.
