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We all make mistakes in our work, but we feel more of the impact when it's with our own children. Let me confess some of my worst so that maybe you can avoid them now:

1.) My kid aggravates me on purpose. My 6-year-old son drives me crazy every time I give him directions with multiple tasks and can't seem to finish either one. It takes him almost two hours to clean his room and requires me to suggest his next task because he gets lost. He is always telling me that I'm saying things incorrectly and I think he might have a hearing problem. A dear friend stayed with us a couple of days and asked if I knew that my son shows signs of dyslexia. And I thought he was just trying to stay up later by cleaning his room slowly. Guilty!

2.) Bunkbeds. Not only do they fall off these monstrous contraptions, they are a nightmare for changing sheets in the middle of the night when my daughter wets the bed. No matter how much they beg for the one with the slide, don't do it. Save space with under-the-bed boxes and shelves on the walls.

3.) Exhaustion. It makes everyone cranky. Force a catnap in the afternoon and you'll be happier and your little mirrors (the kids) will follow suit. When I worked for a software company I used to sleep in my car for 10 minutes a couple times a week. Now that I work at home I bring books to my bed, the kids follow and fall asleep with me. At the extreme end I take iron supplement with a little OJ right before bed.

4.) Television. I've let iTunes babysit my kids. I've also observed the behavior of kids with TV and without and the ones with even an hour of TV a day simply aren't as happy, creative and self soothing. Do I cut all media out altogether? No way! Just start taking note of your kids behaviors after a session of TV and use TV strategically when you have to, like the long car ride to the grandparents.

5.) Yelling. I'm embarrassed to admit that I yell. It's usually around 6 p.m. that I can be heard yelling at my kids when I'm late with dinner and my 15 month old is pulling down my pants screaming for my attention as I juggle the boiling spaghetti pan over his head as I go to drain it. My auditorially sensitive son asked me to stop yelling and instead clap my hands. Brilliant. I've incorporated the clapping and the yelling is evaporating slowly. So, give yourself and your kids a hand.

Tell us your experiences with making mistakes and learning from them. We can all use one another's wisdom.