Had a rough day at work. Came home and my 7yo spilled juice on the couch and I just... went off. Not physically, but yelling. His face. I hate that I did that. He didn't deserve that reaction. I apologized and tried to explain I was stressed but how do you un-ring that bell? Sometimes I feel like I'm one bad day away from being the angry dad I swore I'd never be.
Honestly the apology matters more than the yelling. Don't over-explain it to him, just 'I'm sorry I yelled. That wasn't okay. I was having a bad day but that's not your fault.' Kids need to know adults mess up too.
lol same happened to me last week. My therapist said I need to have like a decompression period between work and home - even 10 mins in the car before going in. Sounds stupid but it actually helps.
The fact that you recognize it and hate it means you're already doing better than you think. That moment with his face is gonna stick with you, but use it. Apologize again tomorrow when you're both calm, explain that daddy had a bad day and it wasn't about him. Kids are way more resilient than we give them credit for.
lol the couch juice spill is such a small thing in the grand scheme but I get how that's the last straw moment. What helped me was stepping outside for literally 60 seconds when I felt it coming. Just changed the entire interaction.
My 6yo did something similar last week and I snapped. Here's what actually helped - I sat him down later and said 'I was wrong to yell like that. You didn't do anything bad enough for me to yell.' He actually said 'it's okay daddy' which somehow made it worse lol but also better? You got this.
Been there man. Juice incident sounds minor but it's never really about the juice, right? It's the accumulated stuff. Try telling him before you even walk in the door next time that you had a rough day and might be grumpy - not an excuse to yell but at least he knows it's not him.
You caught yourself feeling bad about it. That's the whole ballgame right there. Just tell him you were having a bad day and your feelings got too big and loud, and that wasn't his fault. Kids need to see us own it.
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The fact that you're this upset about it means you're a good dad. Bad dads don't care. That said - after a rough day at work, your nervous system was already fried before the juice spill. Not an excuse but an explanation. Maybe tomorrow you apologize again and just... acknowledge it with him. Kids are resilient but they remember how we make them feel.
This is why I started leaving work early on Fridays when I could. Mondays hit different when you're already exhausted. Not always possible I know but worth trying if you can swing it.