Why Hiding Dark Emotions from Our Kids is Not Healthy
What I found out when I almost ruined our family holiday
Days before going on a dream three-week long camping road trip, I injured my knee in a taekwondo jump kick.
The kick was epic.
The landing wasn’t.
I collapsed on the floor screaming. The pain gradually released, but I knew I had done major damage. In that moment, I did not know what felt worse: the outlook of tediously traveling through the medical system moving towards rehabilitation or the sensation of spoiling the family trip we had been looking forward to. We were aiming to reconnect with the kids and move us closer together as a family by playing and having fun.
We’d given each other surfing lessons for Christmas and I was determined to master them with a smile, no matter how many times I’d fall from that board. I wanted to show the kids you’re never too old to try something new. We were going to enjoy bush walks, spot Australian wildlife, play badminton and Frisbee, go cycling, built the largest sand holes on earth, and indulge in ocean swims.
None of this was possible for me.
The frustration gnawed on my jaws. I was close to staying at home on my own, wading in my own misery.
