I remember that Sunday almost 8 years ago. My family was settled in on a bench for a church service, a fantastic feat in and of itself, considering our 2 very young, very lively boys around ages 2 and 3 1/2 (details during those years are a bit hazy for obvious reasons). In that phase Sunday church service was often a futile exercise in just keeping our boys in the ballpark of socially appropriate. (OK, honestly we usually aim for the same goal these days.) Just a few notches below a toddler-sized mosh pit. We were never the perfect row of quiet angels, and that was OK, but this Sunday was different, and I was stressed out about it.
Hot Topic: Shame vs Guilt
100 Ways to Ruin Your Kids
An amazing friend of mine wrote a post entitled, “100 Ways to Be Kind to Your Child“. It’s a fantastic piece, one written by a real mom with all the sincerity of her heart. She’s a mom who knows as well as any that there are times when the stress of the day piles on until you feel like you could very well snap. So she created this great resource. 100 ideas for a parent to choose to be kind, and to be intentional and mindful in those simple acts of kindness. (You really should read it.)