I am sure a few of you are familiar with the Happiness Project Blog. It's a great thing to keep on my RSS feed so when I am having it rough, I can click over and find some cheer.
Well today I was a mean mom. I yelled a lot. I feel really crappy about it too. "He's a kid... let him be a kid and don't get so worked up about it, Gina." I tell myself this, but yet I still find myself yelling too much and feeling way guilty for it.
This post helped me tonight (and a swift kick to the pants by listening to a conference talk on respect and reverence).
My favorite tip from the post is this:
8. Repetition works. A friend told me he was yelling at his kids too much, so he distilled all rules of behavior into four key phrases: “keep your hands to yourself”; “answer the first time you’re asked”; “ask first”; and “stay with us” (his kids tended to bolt). You can also use the school mantras: “Sit square in your chair;” “accidents will happen,” “you get what you get, and you don’t get upset” (i.e., when cupcakes are handed out, you don’t keep trying to switch).
Now I am on my way to get some sleep and wake up a better mom.
3 comments:
It is a bit of a challenge. It is hard to balance with your kids. Should I stop the tantrum or let it play out on it's own. Should I break up a quarrel or let them solve it together. Having a few standard sayings actually sounds like a great idea.
I love that idea of four key phrases.
I think you are a wonderful mom--don't be so hard on yourself.
Hugs, gina.
Those days happen, so don't be too hard on yourself. With the stress in your life right now, it is easy to lose your patience. That article had good tips overall - and I am big on picking my battles (in other words, avoiding no if it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things).
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