Understanding the distinctions between punishment and discipline can transform your approach to parenting. Often, these terms are used interchangeably, but they actually reflect different philosophies and outcomes.

Power struggles: you vs. your kid. There’s conflict, high emotions, and usually end in a dramatic mic drop (either for you or for them)., emotions are high, and usually end in a mic drop for you or them… The kind that is more often a win-lose rather than a kumbaya conclusion.

I engaged in a power struggle with one of my children today….And yesterday, too. And, honestly, I wouldn't doubt that it happened the day before.

Power struggles, the battleground of wills: you on one end, your child on the other.

Emotions.

They shape us.

They dictate our reactions.

At times they even direct our choices and behavior.

They are also powerful tools that can become pivotal points in our personal growth journey.

You know when you're fine one moment…then an external event occurs and almost instantaneously - you find yourself feeling anxious, angry, or needing to cry. You may be dealing with what is called secondary emotions.

Our current generation of mothers is commonly associated with anger. We are flooded with self help resources aplenty about how big a problem it is and how to manage it. And while anger isn't something we're necessarily proud of, it doesn't come from nowhere. Anger should never be justified in yelling and outbursts, but it's a more complex emotion in which non-moms lack understanding. Why? Anger serves as a secondary emotion – it’s an emotional front we use to cover up other vulnerable feelings.

Have you ever asked yourself: what don't I know about myself? The you-that-is-within-the-you awaits. As mothers, we are often so enmeshed in the lives of our children, that we find ourselves in the background. In the whirlwind of being mom and our true selves lay masked, unnoticed and uninvestigated, like dusty attic corners.