Spilt Milk... Why Do We Get So Mad?

There’s a lot of parenting information out in the world on trying to be present, staying calm, and living in the moment.

As parents living in the moment is a skill that sometimes goes out the window… especially when your kid spills their milk.

Why do we get so mad when simple things like this happen?

Getting mad at our kids is a normal part of parenting. Parenting becomes frustrating when our emotional reaction to the actual event taking place is out of balance.

Let’s be honest it probably takes 45 seconds to clean up the spill.

Forty-five seconds.

If a parent has an extreme emotional reaction towards their child spilling milk, for example yelling, screaming, etc., the emotional response doesn’t match the event.

A parent’s abnormally high emotional response is less about the present event and more about the other things going on in their lives.

It’s about the stressful work meeting happening tomorrow, the fight last night with their partner about the bills. Or maybe it’s about anxiety and fear of past and future thoughts.

Generally speaking, we think our “in the moment” emotions are about the exact situation we are experiencing.

If that were true, then would a parent really be mad at their kid for the forty-five seconds it took to clean up the spill? Probably not.

Milk isn’t the reason, but it’s a catalyst that makes us fly off the handle and lose control in the moment. As a parent, we need to be aware of this and make changes if necessary.

Extreme emotional reactions in parenting are about thoughts and feelings underneath that haven’t been identified, defined, processed, and worked through.

The hard truth about parenting with a calm level head is that it takes work and a new way of thinking.

These skills are difficult to acquire on your own.

In our Conquer Parent Anxiety Mastermind, we teach you how to identify, cope, and resolve extreme emotions that seem to pop up when you don’t want or need them.

I am looking for 15 parents who want to end the frustration and anxiety in their daily parenting lives and have a blast learning how to do it within 10 weeks. Get on the wait list here: Join Waitlist Here

Remember it’s never about the milk, it’s about you. Your kid is just along for the ride.

Big Hugs,

Americ