We all know how cathartic it can feel to simply sit and cry when life is completely overwhelming. And those big old belly laughs that you share with friends are totally awesome for the soul too.
So, if crying and screaming and a general breakdown can leave an adult feeling better, then why are we as parents so quick to hush our kids when they are having a melt down?
On the way home from Vermont on Thursday, Alyssa was in such an over-tired state of mind that she became what can only be described as possessed. From the back seat she screamed, cried, demanded, kicked and screamed some more. In the front seat I pondered the best way to handle this purple faced child in the backseat. I could yell at her, but that would just teach her that the right thing to do when you aren't getting your way is to yell - that is if she even heard me. I could pull the car over and spank her, but that didn't seem like a safe plan on the side of the highway.
So, I laughed. I didn't know what else to do. So, there we were driving down the road with a screaming, out-of-control child in the backseat and a laughing mom in the front seat. 35 minutes later, Alyssa fell asleep and I enjoyed the silence.
Sometimes we need to let the emotions out in whatever way we can. Sometimes being a good parent means letting our kids cry and work through it on their own.
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