I recently read this advice on a mom blog that said don’t make little things into big things. I really wish I could remember the site so I could credit the blogger. It was great piece of advice that I felt like was written just for me.
Sometimes when I’m yelling (I mean gentle parenting on a maximum volume) I ask myself what am I really fighting for. Is the behavior I’m attempting to correct harmful? Will allowing Minime (or her cousins) to do the behavior going to mean that later in life they will not understand the difference between right and wrong? Am I trying to “win” because I want to show I’m in charge or because I think there is a lesson to learn?
I’ve allowed Minime to lead when it comes to breastfeeding and potty training. Why not let her lead in other areas? Why allow myself to get stress and create stress because someone doesn’t want to eat lunch when I think they should? Why should I get frustrated because Minime wants to wear the same sparkly pants (that have been washed nightly) for the 5th time this week?
My gift to all of you this season is the knowledge that it is okay to just let it go. We don’t have to control every single thing. Not in our children’s lives and not in ours. Trust me I get how crazy that sounds. I used to plan my life down to the minute. Now I am learning to let it go.
When you’re feeling the stress rise (be it with the kids, work, family friends, or anywhere else) ask yourself is this worth it or should you just…LET IT GO?
