{"id":4128,"date":"2011-10-02T09:29:38","date_gmt":"2011-10-02T13:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cynthomas.com\/photocardblog\/?p=4128"},"modified":"2011-10-02T09:29:38","modified_gmt":"2011-10-02T13:29:38","slug":"om-life-boys-yelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cynthomas.com\/journal\/om-life-boys-yelling\/","title":{"rendered":"OM Life With Boys :: The Yelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"I can’t pinpoint the exact time it started, but I became a parent who yells.
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\nI wouldn’t say that I do it all the time, but some days, it sure feels that way. I think it may have to do with how old the boys are now (9 and 6) that requires me to project that booming voice of motherhood.
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\nOr maybe their gender is a bigger factor. I seem to remember understanding the edge of my parents’ reason much better than my older brother. I thought it had more to do with birth order, but I’m starting to doubt that theory. Boys run on different circuits than girls.
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\nI recall visiting a friend of mine when my oldest was just an infant. My first experience with “the yelling” was my friend to her son. I was really taken aback by how this friend, who I knew as easy-going and carefree, turned into someone else who boomed out disapproval. I foolishly thought that I would never do that to my son. How could I? Look at what a cute baby he is?
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\n\"\"<\/a>I do not go straight to the yell. I’m a reasonable person. I use simple, declarative sentences. There are no mixed-messages. If they would listen… then do<\/em>, I would never yell again. It sounds like I’m blaming them for my actions. Hmmm.
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\nOne of my beliefs as a parent is to show my kids that grown-ups have emotions and that we are far from perfect. I had an acquaintance that would only speak in a measured tone to her children, no matter their behavior. I don’t know about her kids, but it drove me a bit crazy. I like to show the boys that if I get too emotional, I have the self-control to reign it in. I hope that showing my boys these imperfections will give them a realistic view of the world and themselves. Parents are humans too.
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\nDo I want to yell less? Yes.
\nWill I? I don’t know.
\nMy moment this week was to sit down and talk with my little creatures about the importance of listening, then doing. There is a time to be a goofball and there is a time to set that aside and be in control. They get it. They just need practice. Just like mom.
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\n\"om<\/a>OM is *one moment* and is a meetup designed to notice & relish a moment in everyday life. The meetup idea was created by Linda at her blog, a la mode stuff<\/a>.
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\nIf you’d like to participate in OM, just click the button and you’ll be taken to Linda’s post explaining it all.
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