They shouldn’t have done that. It was dangerous. It was stupid. It was mean. Someone could have gotten hurt. You told them not to do it. They know better than to do it.
But your kids did it anyway. And here you are—and you’re worked up. It triggered you. It pissed you off. It scared you. What were you thinking?! Do you realize what could have happened? How could you have been so stupid!
There’s some crazy part of us, in the heat of the moment usually, that seems to think we can undo something by yelling. That if we talk about a problem enough, belabor it enough, inveigh against it enough, we can make it not have happened.
Of course, we cannot. In fact, all we’re doing is adding—as we said—a second arrow to the wound. We’re making our kid trust us less. We think that by yelling they’ll learn their lesson. They will…to do a better job hiding it next time. To definitely not tell us next time. To lie about it next time. In the process of trying to keep them safe, what if we’re just making them feel less safe around us?
Try to catch yourself. Try to remind yourself: Yelling doesn’t undo what happened. Try to remember pausing before getting so upset next time.
Because a pause creates space. A pause creates clarity. A pause can change everything.
And you can reach into your pocket and grab that pause with the Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion—which offers you a mirror to see what you look like to your children when anger takes over. When that familiar heat rises in your chest and harsh words form on your tongue, reaching for this medallion creates a crucial moment of self-awareness. The weight in your palm becomes a physical reminder of the weight your reactions place on your children.
What face do they see when you lose control? What voice echoes in their memory?
The Pause & Reflect Medallion invites you to see yourself through their eyes before responding: Pause. Think. Reflect.
Handcrafted from high-quality metal by a custom mint operating in the United States since 1882, the Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion is crafted with exquisite attention to detail, designed not just as a tool, but as a powerful totem that can transform your most challenging parenting moments.
Each coin features a unique finish and character, arriving in a custom-designed box with an information card explaining the practice—perfect if you want to gift the Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion to someone who might benefit from it.
Remember your children need your guidance, not your yelling. Your connection with them matters more than temporary control.
Head to dailystoic.com/pause to get your Pause & Reflect Medallion today and give yourself the gift of that precious pause before your words and actions.
