Struggling to lead by example when I mess up

3w ago·1 min read

Anyone else feel like a hypocrite sometimes? I lost my temper with my kids yesterday over something stupid and immediately felt terrible. Tried to apologize and explain but I kept thinking about how I tell them to control their emotions and here I am yelling. I did apologize and we talked about it but man it's hard knowing your kids are watching everything you do. How do you guys handle it when you fall short in front of your family?

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Comments(4)

BBrandonRegular3w ago

That's not silly at all. The fact that you're aware and bothered by it means you care. Just talk to your kids about it. My experience is they respect you more when you admit you messed up.

RRyanRegular3w ago

Absolutely. I lost it last week over spilled juice. Got mad, yelled, then had to apologize to my kids. They were actually really good about it once I explained I was frustrated about something else. Kids are more understanding than we give them credit for.

PPedroRegular3w ago

The hypocrite feeling is real. But honestly, admitting our mistakes to our kids might be one of the most important things we can teach them. You're still leading by example.

BBrandonNew Dad3w ago

Every parent feels this way at some point. The difference is you're actually aware of it and thinking about it. That's what leading by example really means - showing them how to own up to mistakes, not being perfect.