Lincoln's ability to deal with unruly kids at work is a reminder that parents are not alone in raising troublemakers. The key is how you respond to it. Maintaining composure is crucial when faced with parenting challenges.
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Quick takeaways
Parenting involves dealing with 'Hellians' and staying composed amidst chaos.
How you respond to your kids' behavior reflects on you more than their actions.
Deep dives
Parenting is a shared experience
Being self-conscious about parenting is common, as most parents leave the house with a bit of fear, wondering how their kids will behave. The truth is, almost nobody's kids behave perfectly, and parenting is like riding an out-of-control horse. Knowing that you're not alone in raising 'Hellians' can provide reassurance and perspective.
Your response matters
The way you respond to your kids' behavior is what truly reflects on you as a parent. It's important not to let their actions turn you into a monster. While it's necessary to set boundaries and correct their behavior, it's equally crucial to maintain your own composure and not let their actions disturb your good nature. Most other parents empathize with the challenges of parenting, so there's no need to be constantly mortified or worried about judgment from others.
We talked about Lincoln recently, who used to bring his “brats” to the office, in the words of William Herndon, Lincoln’s law partner. As much as he hated the noise, Herndon actually seemed to admire Lincoln’s ability to deal with this. “The boys were absolutely unrestrained in their amusement,” he noted. “If they pulled down all the books from the shelves, bent the points of all the pens, overturned inkstands, scattered law papers over the floor or threw the pencils into the spittoon, it never disturbed the serenity of their father’s good nature.”
The lesson here is twofold. First off, it’s a reminder that you’re not alone in raising absolute hellions. That’s just what kids are—and they never really stop being them (they find new ways of stirring stuff up when they’re older!). Two, really the only part of this that reflects on you is how you respond to it. If it turns you into a monster, if it makes you mean or nasty or makes you throw a fit in response to their fit? Well that’s the real problem.