Then & Now - From Lecturing and Shaming to Listening and Problem Solving
The peaceful parenting groundwork I had been laying over the previous 5 years paved the way for my 14 yo to be self-aware…
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Let Peace Begin With Me
In John 14:27, Jesus tells his disciples (and us), "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."*
When my sons were young, my home did not have peace.
My heart did not have peace.
My heart was troubled by the mom I had become,
and I was afraid of who my children would grow up to be if something didn't change.
By the grace of God,
I discovered peaceful parenting;
and I began parenting this way in earnest when my sons were 9 and 5 years old.
And my relationship with my children was transformed.
Peace needed to begin with me.
The purpose of this blog is to help peaceful parenting be accessible to other Catholic parents who are striving to raise their children with the same love and compassion with which our dear Lord shows us.
Welcome.
I am glad you are here.
May Christ's Peace be with you.
"Let Peace Begin With Me" is taken from:
LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH
by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
Copyright © 1955, Renewed 1983, by Jan-Lee Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by permission. International copyright secured.
Catholic Peaceful Parent
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About Me
Hi! I'm Meg, and I'm glad that you're here.
The seed for this blog was planted years ago, as my dear mom neared the end of her earthly days and began spontaneously singing, 'Let There Be Peace on Earth.' God put on my heart to write a blog with the theme 'Let Peace Begin with Me' because peace was beginning with me in my home.
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Then & Now - From Yelling to Listening
But the truth is, I ended up saving time by supporting my boy as he worked through his feelings rather than trying to get him to get over it
Then & Now - Sassy Tone
This was a breakthrough - I was able to correct him without making him feel bad even though I was exhausted!
Then & Now....Reaping What You Sow
Transitioning to peaceful parenting was tough at times. It took diligence, self-reflection, consistency, and a lot of faith.
Then & Now - Connecting through humor when making requests
…approaching the situation with grace and humor allowed us to remain connected…
Then & Now - Blame
Taking blame out of my interactions with my oldest has made a world of difference when it comes to conflicts or potential conflicts.
Then & Now - Disappointment
It's my job to give him a safe place to learn to deal with his emotions.
Then and Now - Behavior is Communication
…if I had been triggered by the whining, I would have gotten caught up in my own big emotions. I wouldn’t have been able to stay calm…
What if you could have well-behaved, respectful, considerate children without punishment?
Maybe you don’t need to parent with punishment. Maybe there is a different and more effective way to raise the children you want to raise.
Then & Now - Meltdowns upon return from vacation
The key to not yelling for me was to be conscious and aware of where we all were and to make reasonable accommodations. I had to be gentle..
What about tantrums/meltdowns?
When we hold loving limits or when disappointments happen or when our kiddos are exhausted/hungry/frustrated… tears and tantrums can occur
Crying over being given the ‘wrong’ cup? It’s not about the cup.
It doesn't matter what that thing is that caused the kiddo to lose it because... it isn't about that thing.
Then & Now - More on Sibling Conflict
It can be so hard not to jump to conclusions and to just react instead of helping with conflict resolution.
Triggers! What are they? What does it mean to be triggered? And how do we tame them?
Triggers! Also known as having our 'buttons pushed.' Also known as behaviors that 'drive us crazy!' What is a trigger? As I am using the...
Then & Now - Sibling Conflict
[I came to peaceful parenting a bit later in my parenting journey (when my boys were about 9 and 5), so I sometimes like to share...
Why can’t they just get along?! (Conflict Resolution: How to Help With Problem Solving)
Fighting! Sibling rivalry! Arguments! Hurt feelings! Yelling! Crying! Ugh! 😩 Why can't they just get along? Because they haven't learned...
Reflection on the Gospel reading from July 2, 2023 (Matthew 10:37-42)
"He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and...
How we raise our children is our gift to God.
How blessed we are to live at a time when we have parenting tools that address the heart of the child rather than just reacting to...
Then & Now - Misbehavior and Regret
I came to peaceful parenting a bit later in my parenting journey (when my boys were about 9 and 5), so I sometimes like to share...
What about natural consequences?
Sometimes people will ask things like, “What should be the natural consequence for xyz?” The natural consequence is what happens without...
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Please feel free to connect with me through email or on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you. -Meg
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