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April Fool’s 🥳 😅

It was a typical day when I went to pick up my son, Adhrit, from school. Seeing his downcast expression, I knew something was wrong. Concerned, I approached him, and he handed me his diary, where his teacher had documented an incident involving an inappropriate comment he supposedly made about another student's country.

Instantly, I felt frustrated and disappointed. Without taking a moment to think about Adhrit's perspective, I immediately scolded him, emphasizing the values we had taught him. But he remained silent, which only made me more agitated.

The frustration, have you ever been in a situation where your child gets in trouble at school and you try to get to the bottom of it and you get the silent treatment from them? Then they avoid you and you only get even more irritated? As parents, we're always facing the challenges of raising children, which put our patience, empathy, and understanding to the test.

One particular moment stands out for me, where I almost missed out on considering my child's perspective, and it completely changed how I approach parenting. But before we continue this conversation, go support the sponsor we love today, here’s a quick ad for them.

So, here's what happened: After a bit of a rough day, I found myself frustrated and ready to lay down the law with my son, Adhrit. Later, I talked to my husband about what happened, hoping he'd agree with me. But instead, he encouraged me to approach the situation calmly and consider Adhrit's perspective. Wise advice, as it turns out. During dinner, as we sat down to talk with him, my emotions were still running high. However, as my husband engaged him in conversation about his day at school, a different story emerged.

Adhrit explained how during a movie day at school, a classmate had disrupted the viewing experience by making incessant noises in her native language, which bothered him. Despite his polite requests for her to stop, she persisted, causing Adhrit distress. His comment about not understanding her language came from frustration, not malice. It was a reminder to me of the importance of listening and understanding before jumping to conclusions, especially when it comes to our kids.

Listening to his perspective, I felt a wave of empathy. It was clear that his actions were not meant to harm but were born out of feeling overwhelmed and unheard. In that moment, I realized the gravity of my mistake. By hastily admonishing Adhrit without giving him a chance to share his side, I had unintentionally contributed to his feelings of alienation and frustration. My failure to listen not only strained our relationship but also undermined his trust in confiding in me.

This experience really hit me hard and taught me some invaluable lessons about parenting:

You know, every story has two sides. It's easy to jump to conclusions without really knowing the full story. But taking a step back and trying to see things from your child's perspective can make all the difference. It's amazing how much empathy and understanding can blossom from that simple shift in mindset. I've lost count of how many times I've reacted in the heat of the moment, only to regret it later. But just taking a breath and giving myself a moment to gather my thoughts has helped me respond more thoughtfully and compassionately. It's like hitting the reset button for both me and my child.