Do not be afraid to get rid of things which distract your attention.
You’re distracted because this weird work email just came in. You’re in a bad mood because of something you saw. You’re feeling off because of something somebody said to you. And what happens? Well, your kids get the brunt of it. Or they get only 50 percent of you at dinner, because you’re home but not really home.
Preoccupation is the enemy of good parenting. And the worst part? Kids can sense it. They are simultaneously sponges and mirrors, and unflattering ones at that. When they act out, make a mess, bite their brother, dye their hair pink—that’s what is happening. They sense your energy and are responding to it.
The sad truth is that most of what we’re preoccupied with doesn’t even matter. We give the jerk at the office free space in our head. We choose to go on Twitter and doomscroll. We don’t need to check our email as much as we do. Worrying about money never solves our money problems.
We have to push all that stuff away. So we can be present. So we can be patient. So we can be parents.
—Leo Tolstoy