Kimbal messes up Juniper's drawing. I respond in the worst way possible and Juniper starts to cry. But, even though I failed miserably, Kim comes to my rescue.
Parenting can be hard, or it can be wonderful. When we try to control our kids, when we try to make it all about ourselves and forget about teachable moments, that's when things fall apart and emotional outbursts arise. I was reminded about this yesterday when my older daughter, Juniper, was super focused on her drawing. Kimbal came along and pulled her paper, causing an unwanted streak.
Unfortunately, I did not respond well. I was frustrated because the wonderful peace and quiet was disrupted, and my children could feel my frustration. Juniper started crying, and I felt like a loser.
Thankfully, Kim, my wife, came along and turned this disaster into a teachable moment -- a beautiful oops.
This episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/THr79iVDiG4