How to Reset After a Hard Parenting Day

biblical principles christian parenting connection faith-based parenting peaceful parenting Apr 25, 2025

A Step-by-Step Grace-Filled Guide to Repair & Reconnect

You love your kids deeply.
But still—there are days when it just doesn’t go well.

You lose your patience.
You raise your voice.
You say something you didn’t mean.

And the guilt hits hard.

Watch on YouTube or listen on Raising Faithful Families podcast.

If you’ve ever ended the day thinking:

“I was way too harsh today.”
“I hate how I spoke to them… that’s not the mom I want to be.”
“Did I just mess this whole thing up?”
“How do I even come back from this?”

You’re not alone. And this is for you.

You don’t have to get it right every time—what matters most is what you do next.

And when you learn how to reset after a hard parenting moment,
you don’t just recover…
you grow—and so does your child.

Step 1: Regulate Yourself First

Before jumping into repair, take care of you.

Ask yourself:

Am I calm enough to re-engage?
Do I need a moment to pray, breathe, or decompress?

You can't pour into your child if you're running on empty emotionally.
It’s okay to take a moment to step away, collect yourself, and invite God into that space with you.

📖 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” — Psalm 34:18

Step 2: Acknowledge What Happened

Come back to your child with honesty and humility.

You don’t need to overexplain or justify. Just be real.

You might say: “Hey buddy, I didn’t handle that very well earlier. I was frustrated, and I raised my voice. That wasn’t okay. I’m really sorry.”

This moment models what it looks like to own our behavior and repair relationships with grace.

📖 “Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” — James 5:16

Step 3: Reconnect with Comfort & Calm

If your child is open to it, offer physical connection—a hug, sitting beside them, or simply being present.

Then say something like: “I love you. I didn’t handle things the way I wanted to, and I’m really sorry. I should have taken a moment to calm down before responding, and I’ll try to do better next time. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

This models unconditional love—just like our Father offers us.

Step 4: Invite a Fresh Start

You might say: “Can we take a deep breath, pray together, and start over?”

Sometimes we both need a reset—and it’s powerful to model what it looks like to begin again.

📖 “His mercies are new every morning.” — Lamentations 3:23

And praise God for that, right?

Step 5: Learn Together

Later on, once emotions have settled, circle back and reflect together.

Ask gently:

“What would have helped you feel more supported in that moment?”
“Is there something I can do next time to help you feel calmer or more understood?”
“How do you think we can work together when things feel hard?”

This communicates that you're a team, growing and learning side by side.

For Your Heart

I want you to hear this clearly:
A hard moment doesn’t undo all the good you’re doing.

You are a good parent.
You are learning, just like your kids are.
And your willingness to repair the connection after conflict is changing your home in ways you can’t always see.

You’re raising children who understand grace—not because you never make mistakes, but because you show them how to handle them with love, humility, and faith.

Want More Support?

If staying calm and connected is something you’ve been struggling with lately, I created something just for you:

🎉 The FREE 5-Day Challenge to Stop Yelling at Your Kids
Inside, we walk through:

How to identify your biggest triggers
How to stay calm in the moment
How to discipline from connection instead of chaos
→ [Click Here to Join]

You don’t have to do this alone.
Let’s walk this journey together.

Final Thoughts

When it feels like everything’s gone wrong—
Pause. Pray. Reset.
Not because you failed.
But because God's grace is real, and His mercies meet you right where you are.

📖 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10

You've got this, friend.
Let’s raise faithful families—one grace-filled reset at a time.

Author

Katy Bordeaux is a Certified Parenting & Family Coach and the founder of both Covenant Collections and Kingdom Purpose Moms. Passionate about guiding families to thrive, Katy combines biblical wisdom with practical parenting strategies to help parents build strong, faith-filled homes. Connect with her for more resources and support on your parenting journey.

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