Tag Archives: emotions

Feelings do Pass

When we are in the midst of strong emotions and feelings, it can seem as though things will never change. Overwhelming feelings like depression, frustration, regret and others can really take hold of us. It is important, therefore, to remind ourselves that everything changes—all feelings do pass and even if it feels completely overwhelming today, it will likely change tomorrow or the next day… Single parents do not have the market cornered on strong, overwhelming feelings but I have yet to meet a single parent who does not wrestle with occasional bouts of pretty heavy emotions. For some odd reason, … Continue reading →

Is There Too Much “Head” in your Life and Not Enough “Heart?”

Recently, I have been pondering my approach to things and I realized that my experience as a single parent has influenced me to be very practical and consider every possible situation based on my intellect. I think that because I felt betrayed by my heart and emotion in the past, I cultivated my brain power and have learned to rely on my “head” for guiding me through all facets of life. Now that I’ve got the brain thing down, however, I am thinking that there probably needs to be a little more emotion, a little more intuition and instinct, and … Continue reading →

What is Buried Beneath the Resentment?

Resentment can be a seething, nagging emotion. It is not that all single parents have to wrestle with resentment (nor is it the solitary domain of the single parent) but it can get in the way of our being able to be fully present for our children, our families and our lives. The thing about resentment is that it is usually masking something else—it is a defensive emotion that keeps us from facing what is really going on. Figuring out what is buried beneath resentment can help us to heal and move on. Resentment can be a cover-up for things … Continue reading →

Is Anger a Sin?

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Anger is an emotion many of us experience from time to time. But is anger a sin? It can be – depending on what we are angry about and what we do with that anger. But anger isn’t always a sin. It can’t be. After all we read many times that God gets angry Take a walk through any of the Old Testament books and you are likely to come up against God’s anger. Her are a few verses to get you started, Exodus 4:14, Leviticus 26:28, Numbers 11:33, Numbers 12:9, Numbers 25:4, Deuteronomy 4;25, and that’s just a few … Continue reading →

Be Aware of what is Motivating You in Every Interaction

Perhaps it is not always possible to tune in to what is motivating us in every interaction with our children, but I do think that if we can achieve some level of self-awareness: identifying our own emotions, knowing what our triggers are, figuring out what we are trying to make happen, etc. then we will be better able to communicate well and have genuine interactions with our children. Let’s break this down so that it makes sense: Say you walk in and find that your child has gotten into the kitchen cabinets while you were on a phone call to … Continue reading →

When Others Get Angry

Many of us have spent a great deal of time trying to manage and deal with our own anger in a healthy and productive way. Whether we have taken classes, seen a therapist, or just been working on what to do with leftover and new anger we might be feeling–we’ve tried to put and keep anger in its proper place. But, what happens when we are the object of someone else’s anger? Whether it is our children, our ex, or someone else in our world, it may initially seem like taking the brunt of someone else’s anger is just more … Continue reading →

Are You Feeling Removed From Your Emotions?

Trauma and grief can cause us to withdraw into ourselves and cut ourselves off from emotions and feelings in order to get through some really painful and trying times. For those of us who have become single parents by going through a separation, divorce, or death—we might be carrying some of that grief and trauma with us and it may make us feel removed from our bodies, feelings, and other physical sensations. While this might have been a reasonable survival skill when we were in the midst of the tough time, as we heal, we have to learn how to … Continue reading →

Don’t Try to Talk Them Out of Feelings

Can there be anything more aggravating than having someone try to tell you that you are not “really” upset or that you are NOT actually feeling the way you know yourself to be feeling? And yet, as parents, we often do this to our children. We negate their emotions or try to convince them that things cannot be nearly as bad as they “imagine” or that their feelings are wrong, inappropriate or inconvenient. What sort of a message is this sending to our children? Our children need to learn how to identify and claim their feelings and they won’t be … Continue reading →

The Unexplained Tears

Most of the time, I feel like a fairly reasonable, practical person; I am not really someone who others would accuse of being irrational (while there is absolutely nothing wrong with that—it just isn’t really me), but there are those times when I DO get emotional, exhausted or overwhelmed. There are those times when I fall victim to the unexplained tears. And while my kids hate it—especially when I cannot really explain the why of it—I have learned that it is better for me to indulge a little cry now and again, then to try to ignore it, bury it, … Continue reading →

Expressing Anger Can Help You Move On

Can enough be said about anger? As a person, a parent, and someone trying to deal with a child’s anger–this can be one of the most difficult emotions to process and deal with in a healthy way. The first time our 2 year-old gets angry and has an outburst, it can be overwhelming and embarrassing; when we feel our own selves getting angry at that sweet child we adore, we can feel like we need to bury or repress it. Anger can feel unpredictable and unreasonable. So, what is a parent to do? First of all, learning how to express … Continue reading →