Tomorrow I’ll Be a Better Parent

As a parent, you are learning and not perfect. As a human being there’s always something you can do better. Don’t get down on yourself because you mess up. Commit to change and work towards that change each and every day. You are going to have your highs and lows - the goal is to work through the lows to become a better you tomorrow.

Did you scream at your child? Too quick to judge or didn’t spend the time with your child that you wanted to? Losing your temper is very common among parents - kids don’t listen and they like to push your buttons without knowing it. Working to be less quick to anger is something you should absolutely work on. Work on it today. Work on it tomorrow. Work on it until you’re able to control your emotions. When you do mess up, apologize to your child and tell them that you’re working on it.

It’s important to remember that just like you, your child is growing and learning. Repeating the same mistakes over and over is not something that your child alone does - you do the exact same thing as well. Don’t come down too hard on your child when they make the same mistake for what feels like the hundredth time. Rather, work with them on figuring out how they can address the underlying issue and fix it. Make sure they apologize for their mistakes in cases where it’s called for, and push them to be better.

Helping your kids to see that you make the same mistakes, and that you’re working to correct those mistakes is an important lesson for them. Work towards correcting your shortcomings. Do everything you can to overcome the issues that plague you as a parent. Don’t let them overwhelm you, rather work towards being the best that you can be.

If you struggle with losing your temper, look to take short breaks when the going gets tough. Rather than yelling, say that you need 10 seconds and step away from the situation. Count to 10 and then put yourself back into the discussion. It’s easy to get heated and even more heated by staying in a situation that upsets you. While stepping away may seem like a cop out, it’s by far better than yelling and screaming at your child or partner.

Tired of playing on the floor? Don’t want to hear the same question for the hundredth time? Tired of trying to figure out what to make for dinner? These are just a few more of the additional pressures and shortcomings that you may face. Do what you can today, but don’t lose it if you can’t make it happen tomorrow. Commit to being better tomorrow, and then follow through on being better. If you can get better just a little bit everyday, eventually you’ll be firing on all cylinders.

Being a parent and an adult is a lot of work. Making mistakes is part of life. Don’t get on yourself too much because you aren’t perfect today. Continuing to better yourself every day shows true character. Recognizing that you can do better than you are doing, and then working on actually doing better puts you in a group of people that can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. It’s easy to just be content - it’s much harder to try to get better.

Today may not have been your best day. Tomorrow may not be either. However, work today so that tomorrow is at least better than today. Work one day at a time to become the best you that you possibly can.