My kids caught me being a hypocrite and I'm not sure how to fix it

3w ago1 min read

I lost my temper at work and came home frustrated, snapped at the kids, then later had the audacity to tell them to have patience and kindness like Jesus teaches. My 9yo literally said, 'But you just yelled, Dad.' She was right. I apologized and explained that I mess up too and I'm still learning but man it stung. I think she lost some respect in that moment. I know I need to do better at actually living this out instead of just preaching it. Any advice on how to recover from moments like this with your kids?

6 comments169 views

Comments(6)

CChris M.Regular2w ago

We all have these moments, man. I snapped at my kids last week over nothing and felt terrible. What helped was admitting it to them directly, not making excuses. Kids respect honesty way more than perfection.

CChris T.Regular3w ago

The fact that you're bothered by it means you're not actually a hypocrite, you just had a bad day. Real hypocrites don't care. But yeah, you've got to show them that you messed up and that you're trying to do better. That's the actual lesson.

KKyleRegular3w ago

I snapped at my kids the same way a few weeks ago and I felt like garbage. What helped was actually apologizing to them specifically and explaining that my bad mood wasn't about them. Kids understand more than we think if we talk to them like people.

JJustinRegular3w ago

This is actually the chance to teach them something more important than never losing your temper. Show them that you own your mistakes and work to fix them. That's the faith part, really.

NNathanRegular3w ago

The fact that you recognize it and feel bad about it is huge. That's the first step. Kids are pretty forgiving if you own it - maybe sit down and tell them you had a bad day and handled it wrong, and you're working on doing better. They'll respect that honesty.

MMatt B.Regular3w ago

This is one of those moments that actually teaches them something real about accountability and being human. Don't just fix it though - talk about what happened so they understand everyone has bad days and how to handle it. That's the real lesson.