Parenting can be exhausting! Anybody else out there agree? The Lack of sleep, no privacy, constant questions, the never ending cleaning and all the other stuff that comes with being a parent sometimes catches up with you. At that point the will to continue on another 2-3 hours before the kids finally go to sleep becomes a strong mental challenge. Sometimes when I get to this point in my day it reminds of the movie, The Matrix. If you’ve seen The Matrix this might make sense, and if you haven’t, bear with me as you read on.
When you hit the point of going crazy as a parent, you have 2 options. You can take the blue pill or the red pill (this is just a metaphor; I’m not saying to get drugged up – had to clarify that).
“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” – Quote from the Matrix
Of course the meaning of the red and blue pills as a parent is a bit different than in Hollywood. For parents it’s:
Blue Pill – You put on your happy face, stay positive, stay calm and become confident that you can handle anything that comes at you.
Red Pill - You continue to get more and more stressed out. You start yelling, losing control until you finally erupt creating a house of chaos.
So which pill do you choose. It’s easy to choose that red pill. It’s easy to just lose it and start screaming at the top of your lungs. But, does that really get you anywhere? Does that really solve any of the problems or does it just create more? You could choose the blue pill. Easier said than done, I know. But choosing the blue pill will ultimately be the best for everyone. From my own experience the calmer I stay, the calmer my kids stay (or my wife for that matter). And that leads to less stress and then everyone stays happy.
My two cents worth: Next time you get to that breaking point where the crazy is about to hit you, take 3 deep breaths. Step away from the situation for a minute if you can. Maybe then you will be able to take your blue pill and find your “happy place” as a parent.
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