Parent Challenge: No More Yelling

I don't know when or how I got off my game, but I have once again become a yelling mom. Not always, not even daily, but way. too. often. I've been gradually trying to work on my reactions, but to no avail. When I force a smile and lower my voice and slowly repeat my request to Ryan, he gets a huge mocking smile with wild eyes that I want to slap right off his face.

Clearly, I have anger issues.

I ran across this post on an interesting blog the other day. This mama gave up yelling for a year. Heck, I just wanted to give it up for a week for my 101 Goals in 1001 Days challenge! The post lists the top 10 things she learned from giving up yelling for 365 days.

While peeking around her blog, I discovered that she has four boys under the age of 5. I've used my wild 'n' crazy 3 year old as an excuse for my mommy tantrums, feeling totally justified in my over-exhausted, maxed-out verbal expressions of frustration. Seeing as this gal's boys are more numerous and younger than mine, well to be honest, I felt pretty sheepish.

This all happened on Sunday night.  I woke up Monday morning and announced my plan to the family. "I'm going to try really, really hard to stop yelling...starting today." There. I said it out loud. So I was officially committed to this daunting task!

After lunch, Mike called to see how I was doing with my "no yelling challenge". It was then that I realized that not yelling wasn't as hard as I anticipated. What I was actually struggling with was speaking to my kids in love, even when I was exasperated and at my wits end.

Destructo-boy decided to skip his nap last week and crushed 100 water beads into a jelly-like substance all over Ryan's bedroom carpet. It took everything in me not to come completely unglued by this creative act.

This is the "before" picture of the water beads. Only a boy would figure out how to smoosh them into oblivion. 

For me, this was an epiphany. Not only do I not want to yell, what I really want is to be the type of mom who can extinguish (not bury, only to resurface later) my feelings of frustration with a gracious, loving response to not only my kids, but to Mike, too.

So this has been my quest this week. And what I'm doing is working! Wanna know my secrets?  Stay tuned...I'll share them tomorrow.  Major light bulb moments going on in this house!!!

In the meantime, are you willing to take this challenge? Starting immediately, make a conscious decision to avoid raising your voice today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Then be bold and share this idea with your spouse and kids!  Come on...it's worth it.

What does "no yelling" mean? Check out the Challenge Details with a scale for a "yelling meter" to help you gage what is okay and what is not.

Be sure to leave me a comment if you're taking this challenge!