Another day at home with my 4-year-old, and I decided it would be a good idea to clean the carpets. I’d put our overgrown labradoodle puppy in the yard while my toddler played in his room. This wasn’t one of those quick vacuum jobs. Our tan carpet displayed remnants of a variety of spills and stains. You know, the ones that had been scrubbed by hand, but never quite disappeared?
This job called for the heavy machinery, so I broke out the rug steam cleaner.
Two hours of heavy labor passed and my little angel entertained himself the whole time. The tan carpet looked like new. Just as I finished, Garrett ran to the back door to let Teddy the labradoodle back into the house. After it had rained, and he’d been digging in the mud.
I exploded.
This wasn’t just a small explosion either. I screamed at him. I yelled at my preschooler who was only trying to help. Tears come to my eyes now as I recall the memory. Oh how I wish I could have a do-over of that day.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that as a stay-at-home mom, certain things triggered my harsh reactions. It didn’t have anything to do with Garrett’s behavior at all. Sleep deprivation, a messy house, and limited time to recharge often set my nerves on edge.
I struggled as I walked through that time of motherhood. Eventually, through intentional prayer and time spent with other moms I was able to identify potential angry outbursts before they left my mouth. I learned that I wasn’t alone. I also discovered certain habits that helped me along the way and found encouragement from friends and family.
Recently I learned of a new resource for moms of little children, written by two women who understand my story. These ladies want to equip moms to say ‘no’ to anger and replace their reactions with gentle biblical responses.
Triggers: Exchanging Parent’s Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses examines common parenting issues that cause us to explode inappropriately at our children. Moving beyond simple parenting tips on how to change a child’s behavior, Amber Lia and Wendy Speake offer biblical insight and practical tools to equip and encourage moms on the journey.
I just had to share this resource here, because I’ve been there.
Maybe you’ve been there too.
I share this with you today because I believe in the message, and I believe in the hearts of the women who wrote the book. If you know a young mom who could use a little encouragement today, feel free to share this post with her. I want her to know she’s not alone, and there is hope.
Today, the Triggers book is available for purchase. Click the picture below to take you there.
