Day Two: Cool It Off With Repairs

So did you make it through Day One?

I didn't.  I yelled once.  All I can say is he's 14.

But I did remember Rule # 5 and apologized.

Which leads us to Day Two's tip:

Perfect the art of repairs in relationships.

Repairs are a great way to cool things off.  If we take the time to apologize, we redirect emotional energy into the relationship instead of holding rigidly to whatever caused the rift to begin with.

With apologies, stress levels drop, which ultimately is the goal if you're trying to keep your cool.


My Day One ended well.  I was able to hang out with my teen later in the evening when everyone else left to run errands.  The moment of frustration hadn't lasted longer than a few seconds, and certainly didn't define our day.

So if you're not always successful and keeping your cool, remember Rule #5 of the challenge:  If you aren't perfect at peaceful communication, be perfect at apologies.

Find out more about the Valentine's Day Challenge.