Read:
Here's one of the great ironies of being human: the people who see us at our worst are usually the people we love the most. They're the ones who see the raw footage of everyday life when everyone else gets the edited highlight reel.
Unfortunately, your kids aren't always exempt, and there are times where your emotions, like anger, get ugly in front of—or at—them. And one of the deepest fears a parent can carry is accidentally doing something in a moment of anger that damages your child.
That's why Ephesians 4:26 is worth holding onto. It doesn't say, "Don't be angry." It says don't let anger control you. Anger is a God-given emotion that rises up in all of us from time to time. The key is being angry for the right reasons, at the right time, in the right way, to the right degree.
Next, it says, don't let the sun go down while you're still angry. Next time anger gets the best of you and spills out onto your son or daughter, go to them before you go to bed. Don't explain it or justify it. Just say: "I'm sorry for how I said that. You didn't deserve that tone."
Kids don't need perfect parents. (There's no such thing.) They need humble parents. Authentic parents. Parents who own their own imperfections and then ask forgiveness. Apologizing to your kids when you're wrong is some of the best parenting you'll ever do, and one of the best examples you’ll ever set.
Pray: God, thank you that you don't ask me to be a perfect parent—just a humble one. When my anger gets the best of me, give me the courage to own it and make it right before the day ends. Help me show my kids what it looks like to say, "I'm sorry." Amen.