I love my kids but some days I feel like I'm constantly failing them. Like I lost my temper over spilled milk this morning and I can't stop thinking about it. My oldest looked at me like I was a monster. I know one bad moment doesn't define me but man it's hard not to spiral. Does anyone else deal with this guilt or am I just broken?
I struggle with this every week when I pick up and drop off my daughter. The guilt can be rough but recognizing it means you're doing something right.
Dude, you're being way too hard on yourself. Every parent has those moments. The fact that you feel bad about it shows you're doing fine.
The spilled milk thing happens to all of us man. You caught it, you're thinking about it, that means you care. You're not failing them.
The spilled juice thing is such a perfect example of parenting. You're not failing them when you get mad about that stuff, you're human. The guilt is normal but don't let it convince you you're doing a bad job overall.
That guilt is real but it's also a sign that you care. You're not the dad who doesn't care about his temper. The bad dads don't feel guilty. You're doing better than you think.
I feel this so hard. Some days I lose my patience over the smallest things and then I hate myself for it. But here's the thing: your kids probably forgot about the juice incident already. You're still thinking about it.
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Every parent struggles with this. I have two kids and I lose it over stuff I shouldn't. The key is owning it with them, apologizing, and moving on. That actually teaches them more about being a good person than never getting frustrated ever would.