Hello to all my readers, or maybe lack thereof… I apologize for not posting monthly as I was originally, but Sarah and I have been really busy with both kiddos on top of moving into a home! Booya! I promise that I will try to get back into the swing of posting at least once a month. So, without further ado, here you are…
You know, I would have never thought that being a parent would make me a better person. Ten plus years ago I was the most impatient person you'd ever meet. So much so that I didn't have the most fantastic interpersonal skills, however, mom always blamed it on the fact that I had an engineering mindset and people like that typically don't like interacting with others. However, being where I am today I can argue that point until the other person is blue in the face. Why? Because of life's experiences from being a parent.
There are times that Teagan is the sweetest kid you will ever meet. There are also times when she is a hellion, and as my friend Ron puts it, "I don't negotiate with terrorists." I have come to learn that I need to be patient and speak to Teagan on her level. While speaking to her on her level I need to explain to her where she is in the wrong and give her choices that she can choose. Most of the time, the two “different” choices have the same outcome, but as far as she knows, she is getting the opportunity to choose. Of course, I’m sure all parents feel the need to just freak out and yell time to time, however, that choice typically results in your child crying harder and louder which is a result that neither of you want to listen to or deal with.
From my experiences with Teagan, and now Hadley (even though Hadley typically cries because she is hungry, wet, or just wants to be held), I have come to learn that when I am in a difficult situation to take a step back, take a deep breath, and assess the situation and deal with it in a calm manner and tone. From my learnings, the outcome and results are much more positive and productive. I stick to this process regardless of the situation whether I am at home or at work. Everyone wants results and everyone wants to be productive. Sometimes those results consist of a compromise. And sometimes, those results are not what you expected because the other person may have had a better idea or direction to go in.
So, the moral of this post is to keep an open mind, keep your guard at ease, and work with one another regardless of the situation. The outcome and results can sometimes be very eye opening.
