Being "that" parent

You've seen "that" parent out in public. The one with zero patience for his/her kids who yells and basically disrupts the whole place with non-stop barking. I saw one this past Monday at the grocery store. She fussed constantly at her kids while in the store and when they went to the parking lot, she stopped to talk to some friends. When her kids came over to ask her something she went off on them, ordering them back to the car and daring them to come out until she got there.

Watching her ticked me off. I wanted to pull up alongside of her before I left and give her a piece of my mind. "Never would I treat my kids like that in public!" I told myself.

And then I got home. It wasn't long before I found myself riding my kids for the little things they were or weren't doing. The next morning one of them finally pushed it too far and I got angry, saying things in a way that I immediately regretted. It was then I thought about "that" mom from the store and realized that I was no better, even if my behavior was displayed behind closed doors.

It's hard being a parent. There is absolutely nothing I would not do for my kids and I would throw myself in front of a bus for them. Yet there are times when the chaos and the arguing and the stubbornness becomes too much. It's those times that I want to remember "that" parent and step back for a few moments. Take a deep breath, maintain my composure, and if I have to discipline do it in such a way that teaches a real lesson. And then make sure my kids know that I love them. Because I don't want to be "that" parent.