Hi, friend! I am so glad you have stopped by my little corner of the internet. I hope you’ll take some time to look around and join our wonderful community of moms here as we learn to be better moms together!
Hi, friend! I am so glad you have stopped by my little corner of the internet. I hope you’ll take some time to look around and join our wonderful community of moms here as we learn to be better moms together!
My anger as a mother is something I am deeply ashamed of. I'm objective enough to know that I am a good mother to these children.
But sometimes - where does it come from? - from within me erupt these raging, explosive, barking words. I know the second the words leave my mouth that I'm sorry. That - no matter how just my cause - I have lost my temper. Again.
In the past three years John and I have adopted seven children from foster care, which means we've had to deal with a lot of angry kids.
Anger displays itself in many ways. I've had children yelling, screaming, kicking, fighting, and throwing things. I've seen looks of pure hatred directed at me. (I know the meaning of “if looks can kill”!)
I've been told things like, “You're not my mom!” “I'm going to call my caseworker!” and “I want to leave!” Anger has been directed at me, my husband, and our other kids.
I've learned that anger stinks, and anger doesn't make anyone feel good—
No one ever wants to admit that they have the red thread of anger running through their story.
It's a confession that comes with a crimson shade of embarrassment, guilt, confusion, and frustration.
This morning our six year old made herself some toast, buttered it, cut it into tiny squares with kitchen scissors, dolloped it with maple syrup and then poured herself a large glass of milk... that she accidentally knocked into the corner of the table as she carried it over and everything proceeded to splatter onto the floor in a sticky, soggy mess.
Now, often, this would have been an internal battle for me not to get angry. My first response is not always one of calm and reassurance when a mess is created...
“Patience is a grace as difficult as it is necessary, and as hard to come by as it is precious when it is gained.”
If there is any area of our lives that illuminates this quote by Charles Spurgeon, it’s parenting. We want to be, no, we desperately long to be patient and self-controlled, but how often does our anger win?
