As parents, it’s inevitable to occasionally lose our patience with our children. Despite our best efforts, the behavior of little ones can test our limits. One mother found a way to foster a more positive parenting approach through a clever rubber band technique aimed at curbing her frustration. She shared her experience in a now widely circulated post that every parent should take a look at.
Lara Jensen discovered this insightful strategy on a blog called The (Reformed) Idealist Mom. Her Facebook post detailing her experiment has garnered over 11,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments. She explains, “Today, I decided to try something different.” Lara describes her journey of maintaining patience with her “challenging 4-year-old.”
She wore five rubber bands on her wrist from morning until bedtime. Each band symbolizes a moment when she might lose her temper or say something hurtful to her child. The concept is simple: move a rubber band to the opposite wrist whenever frustration arises. To regain the band, Lara must perform five positive activities with her child, such as dancing, singing, or reading together. This practice is based on the idea that it takes five positive interactions to mend the impact of one negative reaction.
Lara was feeling overwhelmed by her son’s “disrespectful” behavior, often finding herself in tears at least every other day before adopting the rubber band method. What were the results? A resounding success. “I ended the day with all five bands still on my original wrist,” she proudly noted. “I’m hopeful this will improve our communication and relationship.”
After a few weeks, we caught up with Lara to see how her rubber band journey was progressing. She shared that it has indeed made a difference. “I’m not getting angry as often. As parents, it’s all too easy to jump to anger or frustration,” she said.
Lara has observed a shift in her interactions with her son, particularly during tough moments. “He responds better when I keep my tone calm and ask what’s bothering him. If he starts throwing a tantrum, I kindly suggest he go to his room since I won’t engage with that behavior!”
The rubber bands serve as tangible reminders to pause and regain composure, allowing parents a moment to reflect before reacting. “We often need a reminder that children are learning and we’re their role models,” Lara explained.
Her advice for fellow parents looking to reduce anger is to try this method. After all, you have nothing to lose but your temper.
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Summary
The rubber band technique is a simple yet effective way to help parents manage their emotions and respond more positively to their children. By using physical reminders, parents can work on their patience and improve their relationships with their kids.