Yelling, Children and Chook Pens

Soooooooo......my latest news is that I've started a 'no yelling' promise with myself.

Yeah. I know.

How long will it take me to get back to where I was (a feral, out-of-control cranky unpleasanty person)?

I don't know. But I do know that I'm tired of behaving so badly in front of my children. It's so sobering when I see them get cranky with their sibling in exactly the same way I do.

So, on Tuesday - I got sick of me yelling and decided enough was enough. No yelling to get them to school on time. I walked up to their rooms if I needed them, spoke clearly and made them look at my face when I told them something. It worked really well! My blood pressure was lower, I reckon! I had to talk myself down a few times. I raised my voice a couple of times, but I still didn't resort to full on spit-flying ranting.

Since then, I've only slipped up once. Joseph was told to put the compost for the chooks through the cage and DO NOT OPEN THE CAGE DOOR. So, he dumped the compost outside the pen and opened the gate. Seriously. I had an overwhelming urge to bang my head against something - but instead it came out as a yell. But only a bit, then I went up and shooed the free chooks back into their pen and asked Joseph (calmly) to put the watermelon skin and other bits through the fence into their pen. Whew.

It's really hard to behave like a kind, loving person! It's really confronting to realise how little I use my manners with those I'm meant to love the most. It's harder to do be kind and loving, rather than fly off the handle and spew out anger and frustration. It's easy to be a grumpoid about things rather than be gentle and sweet. Anyone can blow their top. People with strong character don't need to shout, yell and be unpleasant to others to get things done. Or deal with misbehaviour.

So, it's all on. I'll let you know how I go. Failure is inevitable - I know that. I am human, after all! But what separates humans who succeed from those who fail is the willingness to move on from mistakes and try again. And again. Especially when the chook door is open!

Comments

  1. Anonymous1 March 2013 at 01:42

    That's a good resolve.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janet11 April 2013 at 02:36

    I hadn't read this post previously, must have missed it when you posted it, but I came across the blog from Orange Rhino on Saturday night, and I have started the "no-yelling" challenge too! I've done well until today when Jessica was doing something foolish and broke her thong, without thinking I yelled at her, but it was only for a moment and then I remembered my resolve. Good on you and God bless you!!!

    ReplyDelete

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