Mom loses her patience—but what she does next is teaching parents everywhere

Credit: Instagram/kbl_photography_

When patience snaps, love can still repair the moment—here’s how one mom did it.

By Ruman Baig Updated Oct. 08, 2025

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Motherhood is full of messy, fleeting moments—moments that test patience, push buttons, and leave us staring at our own reflections in awe and shame. For Instagram creator, Kayla Lee, (@kbl_photography_)—a mom first, photographer second—one viral video captured exactly that: an unfiltered slice of parenting, shared with 673K viewers.

The clip begins innocuously: her son, freshly bathed and dressed in new clothes, is ready for an outing. Normally, he would play freely in the dirt, and she wouldn’t care. But this day, sleep-deprived and behind on editing galleries, she found herself fraying at the edges.

As he sprinted toward the dirt with his dinosaurs in hand, her voice sharpened in the moment—too harsh, too fast. And then, she saw it: his glossy, startled eyes.

“I instantly teared up and heard the harsh tone coming out of my mouth. I felt so ashamed and felt I was failing him WHILE TRYING to do everything right,” she wrote in the video caption.

But here’s the thing that struck viewers: she didn’t stop there. She took a breath, acted quickly to repair the moment, and joined him outside, in pajamas, water at 84°—just what they both needed. “We ended up being late to the event… but clearly this was what we needed more and nothing else mattered,” she reflected.

The science behind emotional repair

Research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley highlights that the process of repairing parent-child interactions—often referred to as “rupture and repair”—is crucial for healthy emotional development.

Studies have shown that when parents effectively repair conflicts with their children, it fosters emotional regulation and resilience. This process helps children learn to navigate and recover from emotional distress within the context of a supportive relationship. Such repairs contribute to a child’s sense of safety and emotional well-being.

What parents are saying

Viewers resonated with the honesty of the moment, sharing reflections that highlighted how children remember feelings of love and connection, even more than the mistakes or frustrations along the way.

“This literally brought tears to my eyes!!♥️” — @lydia_rose07
“We are all learning every day. You are a great mom❤️” — @lichtermeer.x
“I’m going to be a MAMA for the 1st time beginning of 2026! There will be lots of muddy puddles and dancing in the rain! ☔️ 🥹👏❤️.” — @tasminescott_uk
“That look in their eyes melts my heart every time. No matter the emotion I just want to protect their heart with all my being.” — @spookstermomma

Choosing grace over perfection

This story resonates because it captures grace in real time—the kind that shows up when we pause, repair, and reconnect.

It’s noticing that impulse, catching yourself mid-step, and choosing love over frustration. In Kayla’s case, that meant letting go of the “perfect outing,” the “perfect outfit,” the schedule, and just being fully present with her child.

Grace, in parenting, isn’t soft—it’s strength disguised as surrender. It’s the moment you admit you’ve gone too far, then reach back for your child with open arms instead of pride. It’s an act of humility that says, “Our connection matters more than my control.”

Experts often describe this as a form of “emotional repair,” but to parents, it feels more like forgiveness—both given and received. Each time we circle back after a harsh word or rushed reaction, we’re teaching our kids that love can withstand imperfection. We’re also rewiring our own nervous systems to respond with calm instead of shame.

Why emotional repair—not perfection—is what really shapes your child’s sense of safety

Even brief, intentional moments of repair after frustration help children develop trust, resilience, and a secure sense of belonging. These micro-repairs send a powerful message: mistakes happen, but love remains.

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