We’ve all had those parenting moments which we wish we could forget. You know, those times when you lose it with your kids!

In an effort to encourage you, I’m going to be transparent today and share with you one of my “not so good parenting moments.”

I  got to hear my son preach this past Sunday, and he used the following following  story as an illustration for his point about realizing that people are flawed and will make mistakes. We need to give them grace like we would want them to do for us.

He recalled the time when he was a teen boy around 16 or 17 years old, and had come downstairs to ask me a question about something.

He walked into my office where I had been attempting to get some work done, and found his 3 youngest siblings standing near me carrying on a big argument.

Just as he walked in as an innocent bystander, I  reached my limit and yelled “All of you just get out of here. I can’t take any more!”

As the kids were hastily making their exit, he heard one of them kind of mutter, “What’s wrong with HER?!”

Being the mature young man he was, he commented that he thought I was probably having a rough day and needed a break.

After telling this story in his sermon, my son commented on how unusual that was for me, and that I was normally the most even-tempered person he knew, and this was  a time that I needed to be loved and given grace.

HERE’S THE THING THAT IS ENCOURAGING.

He thought I was even-tempered, and that my outburst was unusual for me. I however knew better. Having eight kids I had many moments of frustration, and those outbursts weren’t as unusual as he thought.

BUT he didn’t remember those outbursts. He remembered me as being happy and even tempered. I’m so glad he remembered the positive!

If you are feeling guilty about those times when you lose it with your kids, or worried that they will never forget those times, here are some encouraging thoughts to help you.

3 Things To Remember When You LOSE IT With Your Kids:

1. Be sure to apologize when you have lost control and lashed out.

Kids are SO quick to forgive, and as this story shows, they also forget.

When you take the blame admitting that you messed up,  and ask their forgiveness, they give it.

When you remind them that you love them, they are quick to return those words along with a hug.

2. Your kids aren’t going to be ruined because you lose it now and then.

Seriously. Sometimes we can get so concerned and go on a guilt trip about being a bad mom, when really we need to just remember that we are human.

It doesn’t excuse our behavior or make it right, but it shows our kids that we are still growing and need God’s help.

This encourages them to keep trying to do right.

3. Your kids will remember the fun times and the good times you had together.

When you normally have fun with your kids, those good times are stored in their memories. They treasure those times, and when they look back, those are the times that are going to stand out in their memories.

As a parent you should make a determined effort to stay calm and not lose it with your kids, but also give yourself grace when you fail. Always apologize for the times you do blow it, and strive to be a happy, loving parent who gives your kids lots of happy memories.

If you tend to get angry with your children, be sure and grab this free download: 

HOW TO RESPOND TO YOUR ANGER [magicactionbox]