We will say and do things that hurt our children because we were too tired, frustrated, or mad to stop ourselves. At times, we will repeat mistakes that were made by our parents because we haven't come to terms with those particular pockets of history. We all hope that none of the mistakes we make will damage our children by compromising their safety, squashing their self-esteem or crushing their spirit. Yet whenever we do something we haven't done before, we inevitably make mistakes. It's part of the learning curve.
Mistakes are critical building blocks in the problem-solving process.
When a child is learning to walk, falling down is as important as getting up. Many of us haven't had an opportunity to learn to appreciate mistakes as opportunities for growth. When we make a mistake, we judge ourselves harshly. Mistakes don't fit in with our vision of ourselves as perfect parents. It's better for kids to have parents who demonstrate how to keep growing despite human frailties.