"Over the years I got to be quite a connoisseur of soap." (Warner Home Video)
I had to teach myself a very valuable lesson this past weekend in an attempt to remain (hopefully) a role model and someone of respect for my two boys, ages 5 and 7.
I was having lunch with them and one of my best friends at Stone Werks. We were engaged in a pretty heated discussion. The boys were quietly coloring and minding their own business. In the heat of conversation, I blurted out an expletive that described someone in less than a flattering manner. (We’ll just leave it at that.) Upon hearing that word, my kids spun around, their mouths wide open, and couldn’t believe they just heard their mother say something like that.
It was a defining moment. What do I do? Do I let it go? Do I brush it off as just a mistake? Do I tell them it’s OK for me to do it but not them? Or do I take responsibility for my actions and the impact they have on those around me?
Once I picked their jaws up off the floor, I told them that they needed to take Mommy to the restroom. They asked me why, and I told them that they needed to wash my mouth out with soap. So, they (gleefully) took my hands and marched me to the restroom where they took the soap and squirted it on my tongue.
It was awful. Way worse than the bar soap my mom used to use. But I had to do it. I had to show my children that actions have consequences no matter who you are, what you do, or in what context it is.
I’m a huge believer in responsibility and owning up to mistakes. It’s how I lead at KGBTexas. Everyone is empowered to make decisions, and there are times when we all make mistakes. But when you do make a mistake, you have to own up to it, or you lose all credibility with your co-workers, your clients, and eventually yourself.
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There you go again….vyying for Mom of the Year and trying to make the rest of us look bad! Seriously, this is a pretty awesome thing to do to show your kids that there shouldn’t be any double standards. What we expect of others, we must also live up to ourselves. I have no doubt this made a huge impression on them.