My Parenting Killed My Son’s Spirit.

At that moment, I decided to stop trying to control him. Instead, I would just support him…stand back and let him make the messes and do it himself. How is he to learn if I never let him try?

As I let this new revelation about myself sink in, I realized that in so many ways I have stood in the way of his development. But what’s worse, what am I teaching him?! Maybe that is why he never wants to help me…because he figures I will get impatient, tell him he is doing it wrong, get irritated, and then either take it away or take over and do it myself. How do I expect him to learn if I would give him the opportunity? I was killing his spirit a little at a time. This realization made me so sad and embarrassed, but also so grateful because it is not too late for either one of us.

~Be Your Child’s Best Life Example~

I will choose to be the influence he needs…the encouragement, love, and support he needs…to let him flop around and boy smash stuff and make mistakes and messes along the way, and show him it’s OK not to be perfect and that mistakes are apart of learning. We will learn the time and place for things, the responsibility of cleaning up after yourself, when to be loud and crazy and when to hide the crazy. hah! I mean, we all need to know how to hide the crazy when we have to, right?. 😜 He will learn how to be happy and comfortable in his own skin. Every parent’s dream…to teach their child how to like themselves and be confident in who they are.

My big take away from this day, I need to stop trying to control my child and start supporting my child. That is my first step in becoming the parent I want to be for my kiddo.

Have you ever had a revelation or parenting conviction sneak up on you like that? Just all of a sudden your like… OH! I get it. 😏

I promise to be better, Sam…to listen more and control less; to love big and let you find your own paths. -Mom