'Did I ever tell you I almost died in this pond, Mom?' my son asked as we were having a lovely walk in the woods near my home.Ā It is fun to shock a parent who believes their kid is close to perfect. I have shocked my own mother of course about the things I did when I was young -- and just like her,Ā it turns out I was sometimes clueless.
I have survived two decades of parenting by talking to myself. My incantations are my alter ego reminding me to put things in perspective, step back and take a breath and that things will probably be okay. So while the mom voice in my head is shrieking, at myself or my kids, there is a calmer quieter voice reminding me to count to 10 before I speak.