"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." - Angela Schwindt
What I Learned From The Worst Day Of My Parenting Life
"Let me tell you about the worst day of my parenting life.
The morning dawned bright and early on my birthday, but unfortunately, it wasn’t early enough to take my daughter to school on time.
I had overslept. Again. My husband had long been gone for an early meeting at work and it was up to me to get the three little kids and my giant pregnant belly out of the door in about 15 minutes, a Mission Impossible not even Tom Cruise would accept.
Sprinting frantically into my daughter’s bedroom, I found her bed covers empty, crumpled up haphazardly, I was sure, in her haste to sneak down for early-morning cartoons. [...]
Finding her in the office, still in her jammies with hair sticking up everywhere, I rushed over to her to drag her up the stairs.
“What are you doing, Ada?! We are going to be so late, all because you couldn’t listen to me!! I asked you ten minutes ago to come upstairs!!” I snapped at her.
I’ll pause here and let you try to imagine how great the wave of self-loathing was that filled my being the moment I realized what it was that she was doing. Surely you can guess because you have a kind-hearted soul unlike mine, which is apparently made of ice, metal shavings, and nails.
Yup. She had snuck downstairs to make me a birthday card and was frantically trying to get it done so she could surprise me." [read more]
The morning dawned bright and early on my birthday, but unfortunately, it wasn’t early enough to take my daughter to school on time.
I had overslept. Again. My husband had long been gone for an early meeting at work and it was up to me to get the three little kids and my giant pregnant belly out of the door in about 15 minutes, a Mission Impossible not even Tom Cruise would accept.
Sprinting frantically into my daughter’s bedroom, I found her bed covers empty, crumpled up haphazardly, I was sure, in her haste to sneak down for early-morning cartoons. [...]
Finding her in the office, still in her jammies with hair sticking up everywhere, I rushed over to her to drag her up the stairs.
“What are you doing, Ada?! We are going to be so late, all because you couldn’t listen to me!! I asked you ten minutes ago to come upstairs!!” I snapped at her.
I’ll pause here and let you try to imagine how great the wave of self-loathing was that filled my being the moment I realized what it was that she was doing. Surely you can guess because you have a kind-hearted soul unlike mine, which is apparently made of ice, metal shavings, and nails.
Yup. She had snuck downstairs to make me a birthday card and was frantically trying to get it done so she could surprise me." [read more]
Reading Corner
Title: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
By: Mark Pett, Gary Rubinstein
Ages: 4-8
"Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake...
Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!
Beatrice offers a lesson we could all benefit from: learn from your mistakes, let go, laugh, and enjoy the ride." - Publishers
By: Mark Pett, Gary Rubinstein
Ages: 4-8
"Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake...
Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!
Beatrice offers a lesson we could all benefit from: learn from your mistakes, let go, laugh, and enjoy the ride." - Publishers
Recommended by Cubs Editors
Be the Change
You could make small post-it notes like "Its' ok to make mistakes - learn from them - let go - laugh - enjoy the ride" and place it around your daily spaces like bathroom cabinets, on the fridge, office white boards etc. Mistakes are a doorway to deep understanding. Reminding yourself of the same everyday, can eventually bring that conscious awareness in your behaviour.
