I yelled at them yesterday over something stupid like not listening during dinner and I could see the disappointment on their faces. I apologized and we prayed about it but I'm frustrated with myself. I'm supposed to be modeling patience and I'm doing the opposite. Anyone else struggle with this? How do you recover from those moments?
Man, I'm still in survival mode with my newborn so I really respect you being vulnerable about this. Apologizing to your kids is huge and they're learning what accountability looks like.
Yep, been there. The key is the follow up. Going back and talking to them about it and explaining your feelings without making it their fault helps them understand that adults struggle too.
This happened to me yesterday over homework. I could see them shut down and it killed me. I apologized that night and explained that daddy lost his patience. Kids are pretty forgiving if you own it.
The look on their face when you realize what you just did is the worst feeling. I did the same thing last month and it actually prompted me to get better at managing my stress. My kids don't need a perfect dad, they need one who tries.
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The fact that you apologized says everything. Kids don't need perfect dads, they need dads who own it when they mess up. That's the real lesson right there.