Boys & Big Feelings

Do your kids struggle to manage their big feelings? I know mine do each for their own reasons.

My big guy is 10 1/2 and he struggles with mood dysregulation as well as ADHD. We certainly have been through it all together. When he is having big feelings he rarely wants to talk about them. Instead his attitude shifts and he starts acting out behaviorally. It can be so frustrating but his emotional regulation is dependent on Mama.

My little guy is 7 and he likes to give the appearance that he can handle anything. In so many ways he is so grown up yet he hates when people see him upset. Fortunately for him- Mama always knows!

I don't know about you all but I have never outwardly talked so much about my feelings until I had babies of my own. I tend to close off and try to handle my emotions internally, that's probably where they get it from. So I've really tried to change that with the kids and do my best to explain to them that we all experience so many emotions and that it's healthy.

Essential oils have been so helpful to us all in handling our emotions. Kidpower has been helpful to my little guy. He now reaches for it anytime he's feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to handle it. TraumaLife has helped my older guy overcome some deep-seated trauma from when he was younger but that's a story for another day.

Here's a quick story for you. Last Sunday I had to break some pretty tough news to my kids. There's nothing worse than the helpless feeling you get when you know your kids are hurting but are powerless to shield them from it completely. My little guy immediately reached for his Kidpower while my big guy just needed Mama's hugs. It's been a week trying to get them back on track.

As parents I think it's easy to blame ourselves for all of our children struggles. I know I do. Really we need to give ourselves a break. Mommin' is hard! It's taken me a long time to realize that I'm doing everything I can to help them grow into the best versions of themselves. Someday it will all come together but until then we are just here living imperfectly perfect life!