It’s a little thing: that one comment, the nudge in the acceptable direction, the calm and carefully-worded reminder. You had the right tone of voice, the best intentions, the least egregious expectation. And then your child flies off the handle anyway. The resistance, the tongue-lashing, the pushing past whatever small boundary you set—putting on shoes to go to Target, taking the bowl to the sink, not licking the jug of milk with his tongue, not making that scooching sound with his chair…
When we face resistance or challenge, it’s so easy to abandon ourselves and declare: I’m overwhelmed!
Today’s podcast episode is all about overturning that overwhelm and reclaiming our power—especially for women (though men are welcome to listen along).
Show Notes
Focusing on Empowerment & Agency
When you are homeschooling, you may become overwhelmed and confused — legitimately so! — and this is doubly true during a pandemic. We hear it ALL the time in Brave Writer, parents that write us saying, “I feel lost. I’m overwhelmed. I’m confused.” And then they ask for help.
It’s not as though our children tell us what they are confused about. The confusion is declared as a state of being—a chronic sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
And believe me, I get it! When your small children and teens are unhappy, an easier feeling to hold is “confusion” rather than the feeling of failing them.
So let’s pivot.
Let’s get away from these two disempowering terms and think instead about what’s missing from our lives when we declare overwhelm and confusion. Rather than addressing the big emotions of little people, I want to talk to you about your super powers of adulthood.
