A comment

In case some of you don't look at the comments, I wanted to share this one.

"I definitely relate to this mother’s feelings. It is really overwhelming to implement this new system and I make mistakes all the time. I’m also finding that I’m less diligent as time goes on and so it helps me to read all the advice here so I can “keep swimming” and not give up. I keep thinking of your words on the CD that it takes work to set this up and we have to be willing to do the hard work. I know it is worth it. It has already made a big difference, I just need to keep trying and improving. I really like your advice to continually analyze our own behaviors as parents and to model for the children what it is like to regain control after we loose it and to show them that we are also learning how to govern our behaviors. I guess home is a safe place for us to make mistakes too, thank goodness! Thanks again for all your help."

It will be hard, it will be worth it, it does take constant practice, and you need to let home be your safe place too.

I have never heard a rule that says there are no "do overs" in parenting, or that you have to have all the answers to everything right at once. If we expect parenting perfection as a sign of "doing it right" then we will never feel we are "doing it right". I allow myself "do overs" all of the time. Some moments take us by surprise and require a "do over." The more you do things over and do them the way you know to be right, the fewer "do overs" you will need. Catching the wrong and practicing the right is how people learn and remember to change their hearts.

These are the things we are teaching our children, so we need to let ourselves have the same experiences to change too.

Thanks for the great comment! 🙂