This is so inspiring! It’s so hard not to lose patience and lash out at that thing being done *again*, even when we instinctively know it is throwing away the opportunity to actually help resolve the issue. A mantra is a great way to release some of that energy while gearing down to an effective state of mind. I’m going with “Be the example.” Thank you for writing this, Ashley!

As a momma of 3, I found this helpful and wanted to share with my husband (who is a great daddy but could use these words of encouragement too!). Often times I find myself having to reinforce the perspective that both moms and dads should be equally accountable and held to the same standards (especially regarding parenting). Perhaps it is bc of my perspective that I noticed it only had mom examples. My initial excitement about sharing this with my husband kind of fleeted because I didn’t want to reinforce the idea (to him) that only moms need this advice and should be the only ones parenting. I know that for some this may be a trivial point, but for others (unfortunately) it makes a difference on the parenting front.

Thank you again for your insight and words of encouragement.

“Be their safe place.” What a powerful phrase. Thank you. I so want to represent safety for my child!