Angry parents can be scary to kids. As a dad, sometimes my kids get the worst from me. I get upset and snap quickly and find myself feeling embarrassed and guilty for how I speak to them. I have never physically touched them in anger, but my words wound deeply.
One day, I yelled at my daughter for tearing up her brother’s coloring pages out of anger. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and my gut sank. She wasn’t upset because she got in trouble. She was upset because after I snapped, she was afraid of me. As fathers, we are protectors, and our kids should be comforted by our actions and words. Anger and frustration may happen in our homes, but our kids should never be afraid of Dad. I have had to learn some tough lessons dealing with my anger. Here are 5 things every father needs to know.
1. We don’t have to be mean.
I have the ability to be very mean with my words, my tone, and volume. I used to think speaking to them in a forceful way would demand respect….(continue reading here).
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