BEST PARENTING TIP EVER

Most adults act just like a child—upset because they don’t get to have or do what they want, and convinced they need it. We don’t need to distract the child (or ourselves) so the child doesn’t feel bad by trying to control or stop their bad emotions. This is exactly what immature adults do to themselves when they emotionally feel bad in any way: they distract themselves with any material thing (including people) they can get their hands on.

We need to allow the child (and ourselves) to temporarily have the bad—irrational—emotions that come from not getting their (or our) way. Then, we must immediately pray with the child (and for ourselves) in a way that teaches the child:

• that they are making themselves have their emotions,
• how to repent of their bad emotions, and
• how to seek Truth and Love from the best and only original source of Truth, Love, and Virtue—our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

A Prayer Practice for Healing Emotions

Any and every time a child has a bad emotional reaction, have the child repeat the following prayers after you. If the child is too young or weak-willed (stubborn) to do so, pray it for them out loud without their participation. (And do this for yourself in front of your child as a good example as well.)

Jesus, I’m sorry I’m making myself feel…

Jesus, please heal me of my feeling…

Jesus, please fill me with Your graces and virtues of Love and Truth…

Jesus, please show me Your Truth to replace the lies I believe that are making me feel…

Thank You, Jesus, for Your healing Love and Truth.

Responding to Resistance

If the child reacts badly because he or she doesn’t want to hear these prayers—remember, it’s selfish for you not to do these prayers with the child because of their emotional reaction. That resistance is proof the child has been taught to make selfish, feeling-based decisions; taught to blame their feelings on external circumstances; and has not been taught to take responsibility for, or properly problem-solve, their emotions with Jesus the Christ.

This failure also means the child has not been taught how to have a genuine friendship with Him.

Distracting the child [or yourself] from unpleasant feelings by giving them [or yourself] some material good: food, toy, media, etc, and/or other distraction so the child [or yourself] stops feeling bad and can forget about (i.e. stuff inside) their bad emotional reaction of not getting their way,...teaches the child to seek selfish instant material gratification (including from you and other humans) to try to "make themselves feel better" from the ignorant, prideful, selfish, blaming others, absence of Truth+Love+Virtues bad emotion the child is causing themselves, because the child lacks the Truth+Love+Virtues in that particular way...rather than seeking Jesus Christ: Truth+Love+Virtues in order to permanently feel better.

The Harm of Distraction

Distracting the child (or yourself) from unpleasant feelings by giving them (or yourself) some material good—food, toys, media, or any other distraction—so the bad feeling stops and is forgotten (or stuffed inside), teaches the child to seek selfish, instant material gratification.

This approach conditions the child to depend on external things (including you and other humans) to “make themselves feel better,” instead of turning to Jesus Christ—the Source of all Truth, Love, and Virtue—to receive permanent healing and peace.

The child’s bad emotional reaction, born of ignorance, pride, selfishness, and blame, reveals an absence of Truth, Love, and Virtue. Only by seeking Jesus Christ in those moments can both child and adult truly learn how to feel better permanently.