"When I don't parent with grace and instead react out of anger or frustration, I
feel terrible, especially because it probably could have been prevented if I had gone to bed
earlier the night before."
For many years, I've devoted myself completely to my children, believing it was
best for them. But you can't pull water from an empty well, and this past year my well went
dry.
For a few hours Kate didn't have to do our emotional labor or be the default
parent. No one asked her to make his brother return a toy or to check the tone in an email. She
didn't have to perform appreciation for a breakfast in bed we would have made wrong. For one day,
she didn't have to take care of anyone.
When you've given yourself permission to eat, including all those sweets and treats
that are normally off-limits, they suddenly lose their power over you. And when food doesn't have
power over you, you will have freedom to live a life that isn't bound by what you can and cannot
eat.
When my kids receive a gift from their grandparent, it's the grandparents I
watch, not my kids. When the presents produce squeals from the kids' mouths, I can't escape the glint in my parents' eyes. Who am I to stop that?
