Can’t wait for school to start?
Kids and parents anticipate the end of the school year with excitement about all the summer will hold. Ball games, trips to the water park, fireworks, cookouts. Then summer arrives and the kids complain of boredom. The car trip turns into seemingly endless arguments about who has encroached whose space. The trip to the water park is more exhausting than exhilarating, at least for the parents. Soon, parents are looking forward to the beginning of the school year with excitement. It often brings a sense of disappointment. They may wonder what they’re doing wrong or feel they’re just no good at parenting.
It’s important to remember a couple of things. One, you will never get parenting completely right, but your presence is what matters most. (By presence, I mean more than physical presence. We all know when someone is truly with us. Our kids know it, too). Find ways to be present with your kids, even if it means messes don’t get cleaned up right away. And consider that getting caught up in guilt about what you’re afraid you’re doing wrong keeps you from being fully present. Second, keep in mind rupture and repair. Every relationship will have ruptures. Sometimes we will blow it with our kids. What matters most is what you do to repair the situation. Talk to them. Acknowledge where you were wrong and apologize. That is what your kids will remember.
Have a great summer!