Do all parents go through the same trials?

Chatted with my favourite school mum yesterday. Her daughter is Beth's best friend.

A quick discussion about play dates (which we've been trying forever to set up) led to an opportunity for me to find out if I'm the only one with a fractious 8 yo.

Turns out I'm not alone.

My friend, whose daughter is confident, well-rounded, bright and sporty and well-liked by everyone, confided that just the other day, her daughter was screaming and carrying on in the car on the way to school.

She was unhappy at having been told off by her mum, and yelled out something like, "If you keep doing this, I'm never talking to you when I grow up!"

At which point my friend said enough's enough, and told her to exit the car and make her own way to school.

I was so relieved to hear this story and so glad my friend shared it.

I have so many days where I'm gnawed with guilt, thinking: I'm not a good-enough mum. Why do I lose my temper with my kids? Where have I gone wrong? What am I missing? Why are my children so badly behaved sometimes?

But maybe this is just life.

My kids are of me but not me. They can - and do - choose whether to do good or do evil.

My job is not to micromanage but to teach them to take responsibility for their own choices and actions, to understand that with every choice comes a consequence.

Also, there will be good days and bad days in every family.

When the bad days come, I must remember to be RESILIENT and STAY SANE through it all, without compromising my morals or saying or doing something I might later regret.

When the good days come, I must remember to GIVE THANKS and BE GRATEFUL. It could be worse.

Because this - good or bad day - too shall pass.