hear you. Two things are true: you have to wear a jacket if you’re going outside . . . and also, you’re allowed to be mad at me about it. You don’t have to like wearing it.” Even in my unilateral decision, I acknowledge my child’s experience. I am not trying to convince my child that one thing is true, that it is freezing and that the only thing that “makes sense” is to wear a jacket. I convince myself that the jacket is important to wear, I set a boundary that the jacket has to be worn outside, and then I name my child’s feelings and give permission for them to have them. I made the decision,
...more
