Moms and Anger: Understanding Your Triggers

Parenting can be frustrating!

Authors Amber Lia and Wendy Speake thought they were the only moms who believed that. Then they interviewed other women and discovered that many struggle.

Anger catches many moms off guard. Stress slowly builds until something finally pushes them over the edge and then – boom! – an outburst. Shame quickly follows, which immediately translates into isolation and feelings of inadequacy.

For every brave mom who acknowledges a problem with anger, hundreds more wonder if they’re the only ones who struggle with it.

Amber and Wendy are joining me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to say, “You are not alone.” They’re offering encouragement to moms who struggle with anger and explaining how to manage emotions in healthy ways. They encourage moms to see emotional triggers as opportunities to respond softly to your children when you feel an angry reaction welling up within you.

There are two types of triggers moms must learn to navigate:

External triggers. When a mom’s anger is the result of her children’s behavior or the circumstances around her.
Internal triggers. The result of struggles within the mom’s own mind and heart.

Amber and Wendy encourage moms to coach their children like athletes. When an athlete fails, good coaches identify the weakness and offer methods for overcoming it. Likewise, moms can inspire, uplift, and give their children wings to fly. If we coach our kids to become more like Christ, we offer them confidence and hope.

Tune in for my conversation with Amber Lia and Wendy Speake on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or listen on our free phone app.

Before I close, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, I’ll send you a copy of Amber and Wendy’s book Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. You’ll also receive member-exclusive benefits. To make your pledge, or for more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

We’ve also got a free parenting assessment for you at our website. It will quickly give you an overview of how your family is doing in several key areas. It also offers suggestions for improving the relationships in your home.