Your first homework!
Your Homework!
Your homework for now, before the first module of the course releases, is to start practicing taking a pause. Here are the three steps you need to take to do that:
- Decide on a word or short phrase that you’ll use to let your kids or other household members know that you’re taking a “Mommy/Daddy/Parent Time-Out.” (Just “pause” or "time-out" can work great.)
- Let your kids and other household members know beforehand that you’re going to be taking a pause when you start to feel upset, and let them know what word/phrase you’ll use as a signal (so they don’t wonder what’s going on when you suddenly leave the room).
- When you start to feel your emotions taking over, use your word/phrase, and then do what you need to disengage from the situation. Go to a different room, or even just step away, for a few minutes until you feel better. Then you can go back to the situation with a clearer head and better access to your creativity and problem-solving skills.
An important note: You may have many times when you realize that your emotions were in control (and that you should have paused) after the situation is over. This is completely normal and not something to worry about. In the second module of this course, we’ll explore ways to become more aware in the moment of how you’re feeling. For now, you’re doing great! That after-the-fact realization is a sign that you're already making a step of progress.