How to respond to small missteps without losing patience

This morning, I had one of those moments that made me pause and quietly wonder if I'm doing this parenting thing right.

My daughter, Holly, lied to me.

She’s my sweet, thoughtful, funny girl, and I love her more than words can express. But this morning, her words broke my heart.

I asked her if she had a hair tie for school swimming.

“It’s on my wrist,” she said, without hesitation.

But when I asked her to show me, she stomped off to her room in a huff.

She didn’t want to show me, because she didn't actually have a hair tie on her wrist.

My heart broke.

At first glance, it’s just a hair tie. A small thing.

But parenting often shows me that small things are never truly small .... they’re practice.

If she can lie about a hair tie, what about bigger things?

How will she handle situations that carry more weight, more consequence?

And as her parent, I feel that deep, familiar ache: the worry that I’m not equipping her well enough, that I’m not guiding her in the best possible way.

I cried this morning. To be fair, I'm a crier (you should see me reading or watching a tearjerker). But at the same time, it was because my heart truly was heavy.

I was sad that my child would choose to lie over telling me that she didn't want to bring a hair tie to school.

Yes, it's a small thing. But it's also a precursor for bigger things.

Parenting is hard. It's hard in ways that stretch my patience, my understanding, and tugs at my heart. Parenting reminds me that my children see the world differently.

They think they know better.

They act in ways that confuse, frustrate, and sometimes hurt me - even when my actions are meant to guide them toward what’s truly best.

As I sat with that ache, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of God’s heart towards me (toward us).

How often do I think I know best?

How often do I choose what feels right to me rather than trusting His wisdom?

How often do I justify small missteps or white lies, not realizing the bigger picture God is shaping in me?

I've realized again this morning that parenting is a small glimpse of the divine: a patient, loving heart guiding, correcting, and waiting for the child to come back to the truth.

This moment with Holly reminded me that parenting is not just about teaching my children; it’s about learning humility, patience, and forgiveness myself.

Every small misstep, every moment of frustration, is an invitation to reflect on the love, patience, and guidance I receive from God every day.

Parenting is hard. Life is hard. But even in the small, aching moments, there’s opportunity for learning, for growth, and for love to shine brighter than any mistake.

If you, like me, are a parent, have these moments that leave you feeling heavy-hearted, I'd like to invite you to reflect on these questions today:

• Where in your life are you tempted to justify 'small lies' or missteps? How might God be guiding you in those moments?

• How do you respond when someone you love makes a mistake? Can you see it as an opportunity for growth rather than failure?

• What does patience and grace look like in your everyday relationships?

Oh, and by the way, Holly and I had a cuddle before she left for school. All's well.

But when she gets home from school, she is going to write in her journal 10 times this sentence: 'I will not lie to mum'. It's a wee consequence to her actions.

And as for me: I'm going to continue working on being a better parent - just like God is.