I snapped at my kid yesterday over something really stupid and I still feel awful about it. Yelled at him for not putting his shoes away. He just looked at me like I was a monster. Been dealing with stress at work and I know that's not his fault but I took it out on him anyway. Hate that I do this.
Man, I've been there. The guilt after is almost worse than the moment itself. I snapped at my daughter last week over spilled juice and felt like the worst parent alive. What helped me was just apologizing to her, explaining that daddy has big feelings sometimes too, and then actually following through on not letting it happen again. Kids are more forgiving than we deserve.
This hits hard. Four kids means I lose my patience way more often than I'd like to admit. The thing that changed for me was recognizing the triggers. For me it's when I'm tired and hungry and they're being loud. Now I try to eat something and take two minutes before I blow up. Doesn't always work but it helps.
You're not alone. I struggle with this constantly as a single dad. Some days I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread and then my kid does something and I just snap. Started working with someone on breathing techniques. Still working on it but at least I'm trying.
This is something I struggle with too. Learning patience one meltdown at a time, and honestly most of those meltdowns are mine. Have you thought about talking to anyone about it? Sometimes just having that outlet helps.
I snapped at my kid over something dumb too and felt terrible for days. The thing is kids are resilient and they know you love them. Apologize to your kid if you haven't already and move forward. You're doing fine.
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Yeah man, I've been there. That guilt is the worst feeling. What helped me was talking to someone about it instead of just bottling it up. The fact that you feel awful about it shows you care. That matters.