Bringing my tea to this thread. I need it, a lot, right now. I have always had a temper (it used to only come out when I was pushed to a huge extreme
) but pregnancy hormones and feeling physically miserable for weeks on end have made me quick to anger. While I understand the reasons for it and it feels completely out of my control, especially in the moment, it's no excuse. It is not ok for me to treat my child with anything but kindness and respect no matter how much I am melting down.
In addition to preventing the meltdown in the first place, I need strategies for calming myself and changing my approach when I am already boiling over, instead of letting my fury spend itself. I will usually "watch" myself as I am screaming and think "this is not ok, I don't want to yell, look how scared/confused he looks, I wish I could stop" but it feels so overwhelming and out of control and I can't stop the train until the energy is used up. I really don't like that.