Hello everyone, first time poster here.
As a dad who struggles pretty much daily with self-esteem and anger issues, it's great to have a forum to vent, or get advice.
Just a short blurb about me:
I have a fairly good idea of where my insecurity and anger stems from. I was raised by two very supportive parents, but was bullied extensively while growing up. I then began to bully other kids sometimes in a bid to not be the victim. To this day, I still occasionally have fantasies of going back in time and "changing the script", and turning the tables on my bullies. Not a healthy thing to dwell on much, I know.
Every day is a challenge to remember that my children are not out to make me angry or disrespect me, they are simply interacting with the world in the only way they know how. I am desperate to NOT pass on this anxiety, anger, fear, and feeling of inadequacy to my kids. I really want to be a coach to my kids, rather than a detached parent who doesn't care, or an authoritarian parent who makes demands but doesn't offer support.
Thank you for listening, I look forward to chatting with all of you.
You sound like a dad with a great amount of emotional intelligence, as well as having the ability to reflect and learn from your own experiences for the benefit of your kids.
Welcome.
Hello and welcome to the forum.