The author reflects on her parenting style of taking timeouts during disagreements with her son, Johnathan. Initially feeling guilty for walking away, she later discovered it was an effective strategy. Johnathan, now an adult, revealed that these pauses allowed him space to process emotions and reflect on his actions. While he typically sought immediate reconciliation, the time apart granted him the opportunity to understand the impact of his behavior on his mother. This approach ultimately strengthened their relationship by fostering understanding and emotional processing.
You taking that space was the best parenting move you had. When I rushed in to smooth things over, it was my own guilt and shame talking.
I was in self-preservation mode, simply trying to process my emotions before I could even begin to repair our relationship.
Physically walking away from my son felt like abandoning him, but it gave him space to think about his actions.
This time away allowed him to reflect and sit with what he'd done, and see how he hurt me in the process.
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