No Guilt Mom

I lost it. I broke down sobbing, stomped down the stairs, slammed the guest room door and buried my head under a pillow.

I wish I could say this an old tale – like from my teenage years. But no, it happened last weekend.

Let me explain.

It’s the fifth time your son has whined this morning.

The screeching sounds causes every single muscle in your neck to tighten. Your head feels dizzy. Seriously, whining kids could’ve been a form of medieval torture.

You take a deep breath and let it out.

You will not yell.
You will not yell.
You will not yell.

I stood there at the kitchen sink ready to scream.

My five-year-old son refused anything I suggested.

“Argh!!!!,” he cried as he flung himself down on the couch.

And me, oh I would do anything to get the screaming to stop.

Ever feel like you need to honor every request from your kids? They’re only young once that little voice says, of course, you should WANT to spend every minute with them. But, saying YES only makes you feel burnt out and resentful.

Here’s the fix.