Getting High on Recovery

“I wish I had known that my children’s behavior was a language—that their actions and words were telling me something about what they were feeling or thinking. I wish I’d remembered that they did not get up in the morning plotting to do things to frustrate me. I wish I’d known that meltdowns and explosions usually meant my kids were tired, or hungry, or bored, or frustrated themselves. I wish I’d known that they needed an adult to help them find the words to express what was troubling them. But they sure didn’t need a frustrated adult. I wish I’d known more about child development, brain development and behavior. I wish I’d known that growing up is a slow process. I wish I’d known each developmental stage has its own way of seeing the world. I wish I’d known that most times they saw things very differently from me. I wish I’d listened more to what was true about their hearts and spirits and personalities than worrying about what other people thought of their behavior.” – Dawn Hallman, M.A., executive director of the Dallas Association for Parent Education.

If you have children, or teenagers… and even if you don’t but you’ve learned a thing or two about them. How would you respond to the question: What I Wish I had Known Before I had Kids (That I Know Now)…? 

I’ll share my answer in a few days. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think!

Keep it Real