So, I figured out something last year, when we lived in an apartment with a big sliding mirror door. When I played in there with my kids, I was so much more aware of how I was interacting with them, and how they were seeing me. Were they seeing me with a vacant, tired, or impatient face? Or were they seeing me with love, excitement to play with them, and an interest in them? It was definitely the former when I first started observing.
This (along with one of my favorite parenting books I mentioned last week, Playful Parenting
Often, lately, when I feel myself getting tired/cranky/preoccupied I’ll do a refresh of this. I’ll sit with my kids in front of a mirror and just play with them. Its such a simple thing that has been so fun and helpful. I’ll find myself making silly faces more, tickling them more, smiling more, and just having a better time overall.
Have you ever tried mirror parenting? Do you have any parenting tricks that help you be a better parent?