Blog
How Well Are You Staying Mom and Dad?
Posted: April 11, 2019
Dear Highly Valued Parents,
Spring is coming! I’m surely inspired by the longer daylight hours and the hope of everything greening up (after it likely snows here in MN on Thursday!) It’s been a long tough winter and I can’t wait to resume my regular neighborhood walks to see all the sights and hear nature’s delightful soul-feeding sounds.
How about you? Are you able to spend time outdoors with your children, or even by yourself? A little? Self-care, especially after a hard winter, may just have gone out the window (sorry … door - when it’s open for 5 seconds, then quickly slammed shut to keep out the cold.)
Even if you live in a warm climate, maybe you’ve been inside too much, too, not letting yourself be rejuvenated by nature’s calming effects. It seems there’s always something more compelling than taking care of yourself as a parent. Dishes, laundry, bathrooms that need cleaning, bill paying, work obligations, feeding your family, driving the kids to their activities, attending games, plays, and concerts, socializing with friends, seeing relatives, outdoor tasks … the list is endless. Where do your needs come into play here?
When did you last have time completely to yourself; to think, go inside and check your inner state, pray, mediate, walk outdoors, or just BE? If you can’t think of a time, that’s totally understandable. Life has never been more frenetic for parents. We have millions of ways we’re needed by hordes of people, and it’s so easy to forget that “you can’t draw water from an empty well.” It almost feels like it is possible, and then, voila. Your body starts to tell you otherwise. Headaches, digestive upset, anxiety, heart pounding, blood pressure rising, sleeplessness, viruses … they all point to the same issue. You need time to yourself in order to recharge and be there for your family.
Below is a Wellness Wheel. My challenge to you is to pick one area of the wheel each day and spend time thinking of your own needs, then fulfilling one. Just one. Per day. You will be a better parent, and your kids will see your wonderful example. (Note: you may have to disappoint them to do this … carry on … you need to fill you own well to keep up with your responsibilities and to avoid resentment. And you’ll help your kids learn to handle disappointment – such a valuable skill!)
Print this and put it on the fridge or your bathroom mirror right now. This will keep your own wellness firmly in your awareness. You'll avoid sickness, be a more pleasant parent, have fewer frustrations, and feel happier. You deserve it, and so does your family. 
If you need help with this or any other parenting issue, visit www.parentingmojo.com/parent-coaching, and give us a shout.
Send this blog post to someone:
SUBMITI See You Letter
“I See You” Letter
Another tool for helping a child with a traumatized brain, or any child who is asking for attention by showing unwanted behavior, is an “I see you” letter. When something is put into writing, it weighs more. The child can read the message without having to hear the adult’s voice, which is more effective because adult voices have sometimes not proven trustworthy in the past. I encourage caregivers to write the letter in a notebook, so the child can write back, if she so chooses, and review the letter at any time. The re-reading can be very healing. When I’ve encouraged other adults to write this type of letter, they’ve told me that they’ve found it later, stashed in a drawer or other safe spot, but never thrown away, which speaks to its significance to the child.
You can write a letter to a child of any age. If she is old enough to read, just leave it on her pillow. If not, write it out and read it slowly, then hand it to her.
If the child is so hurt that listening to you read a letter is too much, try posting notes that say what you see in her all over her room. Use the components below to craft your letter or your notes.
The components of the “I See You Letter” are:
- I see what you've been through (in details that are significant to her, maybe just the things you know she remembers). You may want to add, "And other things, too, that we haven't talked about." This could spark a response where she shares more.
- In light of your experiences, I realize that none of your recent behavior is your fault. You were just trying to express your pain.
- I'm sorry I blamed you when I just didn't realize that your behavior was your pain being expressed.
- Together we'll work on making it better, and here's how: ______
An example:
Dear Ana,
I just wanted to tell you what I see when I look at you. I see a kid who has had some very rough experiences. When you were younger, your adults did not do what they needed to do to keep you safe. No child should have this happen, as every child deserves and needs to be kept safe. Your mom left you with people who hurt you, and your dad left without saying why. That must hurt so much. I want you to know that this was never, ever your fault. You were an innocent child.
I see a kid who is sensitive and smart. I see a kid who is amazing at figuring out other people. I so appreciate hearing you express what you know long before others your age can do that. I see a kid with artistic ability, and one who cares deeply for our pets. When I watch you with younger children, I am so impressed with how tender you are.
I realize I have gotten angry with you and yelled when you were upset with me. I now get that you just felt threatened, and you did not mean to hurt my feelings or disrespect me. I’m sorry and I will try very hard not to yell in the future. If I make a mistake and yell (because we all make mistakes), I will apologize and have a do-over, because no one deserves to be yelled at.
If you feel like writing back to me in this notebook, that’s great. Feel very free to do so. If not, I’m fine with that, too. I’m just happy to be able to use this notebook to say what I want to tell you in writing.
I am so happy you are in my life. Thank you for all the gifts you give me, especially your smile.
Love,
Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa/Other caregiver
I encourage adults not to ever mention the letter, nor to expect him to say he read it and liked it. For a traumatized child, this may be too much vulnerability. But what often happens is that adults notice a softening in their child, a better attitude, more affection, more focus, and more cooperation. That’s the goal of writing: to see the child clearly, communicate it, allow the amygdala to register that the child is seen and therefore will survive, watch the result in a much more relaxed and relieved child and in an improved relationship. I often describe this process as being “like physics,” as predictable as proven science. It’s truly remarkable how dramatic the results are! And when you think about it, the seeing is the tool for calming the threat alarm. No wonder the child can now function so much more rationally. The more rational front brain is able to work!