Sometimes we find ourselves battling with our children. It may be just one child pushing all your buttons and being defiant, or it may be all of them. As the day (or week) goes on, the pressure just keeps building. We're reacting to not just this moment, but the moments that came before it, too. The children are feeling picked on, since they conveniently forget they chose to misbehave in the first place.
Today's tip is for those days ... and weeks. Take time to reconnect. Find a way to restore the damaged relationship, and remind each other how much you really love each other.
Some ways that I do this:
grab my 6 year old son and hug him and kiss his hair and make him laugh even though he'd rather pout
say something funny or silly to put a smile on the 10 or 11 year old girls' faces
read a story to the children -- start with the 3 year old, and the others soon join us
invite them to join me as I cook
plop down beside them and ask them how they're doing
smile and tell them I love them
fix a favorite snack and sit down to share it with them
rub their back and ask what they're thinking
smile ... it may have been awhile since they saw me smile
start handing out hugs
apologize for being cranky ... I know I get cranky at times like this
sing a silly song with them
tell them something I like about them
I'm sure your family has its own ways of connecting, of showing love to each other. There are days when everyone is getting on everyone's last nerve, and we really just want to escape to a quiet place. Instead, take time to reconnect. It makes a difference in my home; it changes the negative and antagonistic mood. More importantly, it assures my children that I love them unconditionally.
April E. (ElCloud Homeschool) is a Homeschool Mom of 6. She has homeschooled for over 7 years, and enjoys sharing the things she's learned in her homeschool journey with others.
Welcome to ElCloud Homeschool blog. My name is April, and I'm married to my best friend, Steve. We have 7 active, creative children ages 14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 1. This blog is where I share about our Christian faith, our family life, our homeschool, and my reviews of curriculum and books. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is our goal for our family and our homeschool.
