How Is Your Relationship With Your Child?

This post is going to be a short one because the message I want to send is simple, but often takes time to digest.

“Tell me about your Mom.” 

If someone were to ask your child, whether they are a toddler or a teen, “What’s your Mom like?,” what do you think your child would say? 

As a parent, you probably wonder (worry?) so much about if you are doing a good job and if you child is ok. Is she getting too much screen time? Is he eating well? How is she doing in school? Does she have good, reliable friends? Are they spending too much time in their bedroom? 

With all of these other thoughts it can be easy to  miss something really important- how is your relationship with your child? What do you think they say or feel about how you interact with them on a daily basis?

So, “Tell me about your Mom.”

“My Mom….

….is fun.

….yells a lot.

….is always tired.

….loves to make things with me.

….gets mad at Dad a lot.

….is really busy.

….makes me laugh.

….makes me cry.

….tells really bad jokes.

Now I know that none of us are perfect and we have all reacted to situations in a way that we are not proud of. Perfection is not the goal, and never should be. But if those reactions happen more often than you would like, or you feel that they are impacting your relationships or how your child sees you, then they are worth working on. Counseling may be a good option to help with emotional regulation, postpartum or maternal depression or anxiety, or parenting strategies to help you be the parent you want to be. 

There are a lot of things that impact how you show up for your children- lack of sleep, work stress, relationship conflicts, financial strain, clutter or mess in your home, postpartum and/or maternal mood concerns, anxiety, and many others. Asking this question should not produce a feeling of guilt or shame. If it does, support can help. 

Talk to your mental health provider about how to better align your actions with what is important to you. If you don’t have a counselor and are interested, we have created a free document to help you choose the right counselor for YOU. Enter your email below to be taken directly to this helpful information.

Colorado residents, we are currently taking new clients and would love to work together. Our goal is to help you be the person, partner, and parent you want to be. Contact us to schedule an appointment.