10 Things I Know Right Now

My latest article, entitled “little know-it-alls,” came out yesterday in the December issue of Parents magazine. The idea for this piece came from a real-life Mommy moment, when I questioned my son Carson’s discovery of a “shark pod” on the Jersey Shore.

If you read the article – go ahead and click over there, I’ll wait – you’ll see that Carson’s assessment of the pod was far more correct than my own. This is just one example of something I learned from my kids:

You don’t know what you don’t know.

Here are 10 more things I know right now. Maybe they’ll resonate with you.

1. Emotions are contagious. We catch them from other people. And they catch emotions from us.

2. Everyone needs time out to deal with their feelings once in a while.

3. Speaking softly engages listeners more effectively than shouting.

4. You can do it all. But you can’t do it all at the same time.

5. It’s impossible to hold onto bad feelings when you are laughing out loud or swinging a toddler around like an airplane.

6. You are only as busy as you feel.

7. Having the courage to ask questions is more important than having all the answers.

8. Too-high expectations set everyone up for frustration and disappointment.

9. You can’t control how other people feel. You can control how you respond.

10. Forgiveness is the shortest path to peace.

Some of these ideas are described in my new e-book, Detachment Parenting. Others came to mind in the past few tumultuous weeks. I’m sure down the road I’ll re-think these ideas in different contexts and with greater clarity. That’s how life is. There’s always more to learn. And you don’t know what you don’t know.

What have you learned lately? Share your thoughts in the comments.