ABSTRACT
We are not exaggerating when we say that caring for a child is probably the hardest job any of us will ever do. It is probably the most rewarding too, but if you’re like most parents and caregivers, that doesn’t really matter in the middle of a total crisis. And when we are stressed, overtired, or just plain irritable, we can lose control and say or do things we later regret. The good news is that we can increase our capacity to choose what we say and what we do by checking in with ourselves and engaging our nervous system to our advantage. After this chapter, we’ll (finally!) be getting on with the meat of this book and providing you with ways to respond to challenging parenting scenarios. In order to do this, it is important to be calm enough ourselves. Not necessarily peaceful and Zen, but reasonably calm. If your head is about to explode in frustration, trying to squeeze yourself into some recommended words probably won’t have the desired effect.
