The One Question I Ask That Stops Me From Losing My Shit With My Kids

It's simple, but it works.

My 8-year-old is having A WEEK. Yesterday was the last day of school, and she always struggles with transitions, so I can’t say I’m surprised. But OMG, the moods. She’s been glaring at me, snapping at me, crying, screaming, storming off, even refusing to eat.

When my kids are challenging — especially when it happens frequently over a short period — it can be really hard not to yell. And believe me, I sometimes do. We all have our limits. We all have moments when we don’t have the emotional resources to calm ourselves down and come up with constructive ways to respond. And that’s okay.

But I’ve discovered that there’s one question I can ask myself when my kids are incensing me that often holds off my temper for just long enough for me to defuse.

Here’s what it is: