My kids aren’t listening, and I’m worn out.
Lately our habits (theirs and mine) have gotten pretty ugly. They don’t listen. I yell. It doesn’t help. I get mad. I yell more. They finally hear and look at me like, “What is your problem, crazy lady?” I lecture. They try not to roll their eyes. We all walk away grumpy.
I know. Mom of the Year.
THE EXPERIMENT
Yesterday, I decided to try a little experiment.
I called the troops in close, their three little bodies right up next to mine. In a hushed voice, I told them the plan: “Today, I will only be whispering, so you may have to try a little harder to hear. Got it? Ok, Go play!” And off they went, the Boy-child on his scooter and the girls, straight to their friends waiting nearby, ready to play.
And that’s what I did. I whispered to my kids all day long.
Here’s what this little experiment taught me:
#1: It’s hard to be mad (and act like a crazy woman) when you’re whispering. With my volume in check, my tone changed too. So, even when I needed to correct or discipline, it was done gently.
#2: Whispering forced me to get more physically involved with my kids. This means I couldn’t yell at them from a reclining position on the couch or sitting at my desk in front of the computer. I had to be where they were, where they could see me, if I expected to be heard.
#3: I felt a lot less tired (and peaceful) at the end of the day.
What I learned gave me great parenting perspective, but that wasn’t my favorite part.
