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Staying Calm When Your Kids Aren't

I once heard that the mark of a great leader is the ability to stay calm when others aren't. Since great parents and teachers are really the same as great leaders, it makes sense that this would apply to our daily lives with kids.

But...how do we do it?

People who meet this challenge think much differently than those who don't. When the going gets tough, those who lose their cool are led astray by thoughts such as:

• My kids should never misbehave.
• This is horrible for me.
• I'm a lousy parent (or teacher)!
• I can't help but get mad about this!

People who keep their cool are comforted by much different thoughts:

• They're sure going to learn a lot from this mistake!
• This is pretty sad for them.
• Now I get to use my new skills!
• It's okay for me to be happy even when my kids aren't.

The great news is that each of us has the power to choose how we think!

Thanks for reading. If you like this, get your friends on board!

Dr. Charles Fay