Bridge Builders Network

a place where common sense meets common ground

Driving and Crying

Driving on the road is a good test of patience. How often do you honk your horn, tailgate, or berate other drivers in front of your kids? They’re listening, and learning. I remember my three year old son spouting, “look at that idiot on the bicycle!” Sheepishly I recognized my own words coming back to me. My mom would drive faster when she got angry. My dad once jumped out of the car with his fists up when a man stepped out in front of his car. We are teaching the children that it’s okay to act-out when we lose our patience. All of these incidents were missed opportunities to “parent”. We need to be a better version of ourselves in front of our kids (and always).