Dr Jordan B Peterson goes on to say: "Very few people set out, consciously, to do a terrible job as a father or mother, but bad parenting happens all the time. This is because people have a great capacity for evil, as well as good - and because they remain willfully blind to that fact. People are aggressive and selfish, as well as kind and thoughtful. For this reason, no adult human being - no hierarchical, predatory ape - can truly tolerate being dominated by an upstart child." (p.142)
Essentially, understand yourself. Know that if you are unprepared and provoked, you may act against your desires as a parent.
This hit home for me.
I tend to have large reactions, quick to raise my voice. I am thankful for my wife who kindly makes me aware, post-argument with my son.
If I raise my voice at every little misbehavior, the significance of an elevated voice is diminished. What would then happen in time of crisis or danger? How then do I scale discipline without reaching unacceptable levels? It becomes a 'boy who cried wolf' scenario. My raised voice would not have the impact required in a dire situation nor could it continually match the levels of increasingly disobedient acts.
Understanding this about myself, I am able to set my mind right and put measures into place prior to escalation.
What are your buttons that your child knows and continually pushes? How do you react vs. how you would like to respond?
Take time to think about this today so you can respond how you prefer in the future.
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