While everyone wants to be a good parent, some situations make it harder than others. What do you do when you’ve had a tough day at work and your child suddenly does the one thing that really makes you mad?
According to Bonnie Harris, author of “When Kids Push Your Buttons,” the thing NOT to do is vent your anger at your offspring but look instead for a way to understand the situation better. “We often wonder why we lose it with our kids when we swore we never would,” says Harris in a press release.
She suggests that one way to respond in a positive way when your child’s behavior drives you crazy is to take a moment to think back to your own childhood. Ask yourself if the child’s behavior triggers a memory that pushes your buttons. Understanding why a particular behavior gets you angry is a good way to reduce the emotional distress of the moment and get some solid footing.
“My goal is for parents to leave my workshops with a new perspective of their children and the inspiration to parent the way they always thought they would,” says Harris. A mother of two grown children, Harris received her masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College in New York.
A teacher of parenting workshops for the past 20 years, Harris also founded the Parent Guidance Center of Peterborough, New Hampshire in 1990 (www.bonnieharris.com). She is also the director of Core Parenting and has appeared on “The Today Show” as well as other network television appearances. She developed the Effective Parenting Workshop for parents of children one to five years old and has also taught the curriculum guide for “To Raise a Child and Build a Community” as well as taught courses for parents of infants through teens entitled, “Parenting Without Punishment.”
In the end, responding appropriately and positively to our children’s needs is a win-win situation, according to Harris. “Diffusing the parenting road rage will help parents become the parent they always wanted to be and enable them to give their children the help they may really be asking for.”
When Kids Push Your Buttons, Lecture and Workshop, Waldorf School, 1062 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton. 609-466-1970, extension 26. Lecture: Friday, April 29, 7:30 p.m., $15. Workshop: Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., $40, $50 for both.
