Just back from dropping S off at school. the whole process went much more smoothly today. We left 10 minutes earlier so we had plenty of time and the walk was about 120% less stressful. S started out feeling sick but soon calmed down and chatted amiably about Bugs Bunny.
And as soon as we got to school Barnacle Boy showed up and they walked in together.
WHEW!
And now I realize that a big part of S's meltdown yesterday happened because we were late and he was feeding off of my stress. He was already nervous and I completely exacerbated the situation by rushing him and pulling him along. I've got to remember that my mood and behavior still have a big influence on the boys, and although stress cannot be avoided I'm doing my best not to contribute to it.
6 months of Vipassana has made a huge difference in my life, but then something like this will happen and will remind me that I've still got a loooooong road ahead of me...
2 comments:
Ooooh boy, did this sound familiar! I tend to get tense with our youngest when she's stressing out (especially over school), and she usually falls apart when I respond that way--but even though I know that, I seem to have to learn over and over to "take multiple deep breaths, watch your tone," etc. Maybe I should start playing soothing music during breakfast...
Vipassana sounds wonderful. I'm gonna look into it further. No funny finger poses on knees for me... but I like the peacefulness of Vipassana!
As far as kids "still" feeding off your stress, we fed off Mom's stress -- and her glee -- till her dying day. That connection is strong!
Carol
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