Why a “Hard Reset” Might Be Exactly What You Need:

Parents run through walls for their kids. We do not hesitate, we do not slow down, and we don't stop to ask clarifying questions. That is just what we do.

But what happens when we go too far?

We schedule, advocate, protect, and invest. All of it comes from love. All of it comes from that deep place in us that says my child will not struggle the way I did or I will give them every opportunity I never had. And none of that is wrong. The problem is not the love. The problem is when the wall we are running through starts to look more like our child's space to grow.

STOP. Yes, mid-run. You are allowed to adjust.

Parenting is not a plan you draft at the start of the year and execute perfectly through December. It is a living, breathing, constantly shifting thing. And that means you get to grow while you are doing it. You do not have to wait for a new season.

Some of us are in the middle of something right now, a challenge we stepped into at full speed and we can feel it.

The truth is that the best parents are not the ones who never get it wrong. They are the ones who stay honest enough with themselves to notice when they do get it wrong and humble enough to adjust.

So many of us were taught to make a mistake and move on, but it is important to teach our kids that it is okay to take accountability, make a change, then move forward. Who wants to be characterized as insensitive forever? What if you recognize that your words have affected your kids, and today you are making the conscious decision to be more thoughtful with your words.

Your kids are watching how you handle the hard stuff. Running through walls is impressive. But what is more impressive is when your children know how to do it for themselves. I learned to show up from a very strong woman, but I am also learning to wait and rest from who that strong woman raised me to be, so my children will have those same skills.