Parenting With Loving Guidance

"What I really wanted to do was lock myself away in a room and completely ignore the cries. But when I stepped away to take that breath, I suddenly thought back to the early days of our life together – of those tearful moments when what my daughter needed more than anything was my presence, even if she wasn’t immediately soothed. So, I went to where she lay – face streaked with tears and flushed red with frustration. I sat down next to her, placed my hand on her back, and started talking. I doubt I had any magic words at that moment, but I empathized with her feelings of being tired, angry, out of control, etc. Whatever I did in that moment helped her to calm down enough to see that she was being heard and understood, and helped bring that long day to a close."