Contact Us
Children are quick to blame their mothers for every wrong. Missing homework? Mom’s fault. No nuggets for dinner? How dare mom do that! Can’t find their shoes? Mom must have stolen them. No matter what it is, it is always mom’s fault. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being blamed. I don’t like people feeling disappointed or angry with me. When my kids feel like this toward me, I often take it personally. It’s hard not to!
Thinking back to when I was an athlete, I took things personally too. It was never easy for me to leave it on the field. But any coach would tell you that leaving it on the field is actually what we need to do. Or in the wise words of our favorite coach, Ted Lasso, we need to be a goldfish — able to forget what just happened. And that’s exactly what we must learn to do when it comes to raising kids.
When I take my kids’ offenses personally, it ruins how I see myself and how I see my kids. I see myself as a failure and I only see the worst version of my kids. When I feel offended, I continue to feel grumpy, upset and wounded. I don’t like sitting in that place. Leaving it on the field is being able to face the moment, however tense it may be, and not allow it to change how you see yourself and your kids.
Proverbs 19:11 (ESV) says, Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
It is your glory to overlook an offense. Just let that one sink in for a minute. I think that is the essence of not being offended by the words and actions of those around us — especially our children.
Could you imagine how different your world would be if you didn’t get offended by your children? How different would your outlook on life and others be if you refused to take it personally? That is my challenge today for myself — and for you.
Play hard. Fight the good fight. Love well. And then, when the game is over, leave it on the field.
Questions:
- What is something that you tend to be offended by or take personally?
- What is one step you can take to help you leave it on the field?
Sarah Bragg (sarahbragg.com)