All too often we hear stories in the news where a parent has lost control and hurt their child. This is devastating to everyone involved and maybe it hits a little too close to home sometimes. I think we have all had a time when we were absolutely at the end of our rope and if our child did ________ just one more time………..
I remember when Hailey was an infant and was crying inconsolably, After trying everything and walking and bouncing and singing I just couldn’t take one more minute. So I did the only thing I could think of, I put her in her crib, shut the door and went to my room and cried.
After five or ten minutes I went to rescue my poor abandoned baby and was able to comfort her again. She didn’t stop crying, I was just able to deal with it again. I think mostly because I felt so guilty for abandoning her in her crib while I cried.
Whatever the reason, once I stepped away and was able to separate my stress from her distress I was able to lovingly comfort her again. I’m so glad I did that.
That one event taught me that occasionally everyone needs a time out. I used it often when Hailey was smaller and as a single mother sometimes it was a lifesaver. I told Hailey that just as she sometimes needed a time out to get control of herself, so did I. I would just tell her I was feeling grouchy and lock myself in my room for a few minutes to regain control.
Our children don’t mean to push our buttons but they do, and when there is no one to give us a break we can say or do things that can have a devastating impact on our child. Words can wound as terribly as anything else.
So even if you know you would never physically harm your child, when you are at your limit, take a time out. You will be a better mom for it and you will be teaching your kids a valuable skill.