The Rewind Button: How to Come Back Stronger After You've Snapped At Your Kids

Because coming back together matters more than not messing up in the first place. How to Repair with Your Child: Ages 2–8

If you need a hug and a plan all in one, this post is for you.

If you woke up thinking, “Today will be different,” but still found yourself slamming the dishwasher by 10:37 am, keep reading.

You started out soft, with warm cuddles, morning milk, and shows. They settled, so you jumped in the shower really quickly. As you turned the water off, you heard it. The four-year-old was crying again. You peeked out from the bathroom, dripping a puddle of water across the floor, and saw the seven-year-old standing in her tattered Lilo and Stitch nightgown, arms crossed, hair askew. Here we go again...

You throw on the same denim shorts from yesterday and grab a clean-ish t-shirt off the floor, quickly giving it a sniff test, and silently commend yourself for the restraint you showed when you didn’t chastise your older one for taunting the younger one while you showered. You pop some mini waffles in the toaster and start scrambling eggs.

But then the messes multiply, and juice spills. The magnetic tile tower falls. The pressure piles on. And something tiny, your four-year-old’s refusal to put on shoes, happens, and you yell. They cry. And you feel awful.

You’re not a bad parent. You’re a human one. And human ones get overstimulated. Especially when there’s been no break, no buffer, no one asking how you’re doing in the middle of it all.

So what now? You just need a way back, a way to recover without spiraling and ruining the day for everyone.