Yelling

Some days, okay lets be honest, most days I feel my words fall upon deaf ears in this house.

Earlier this evening Tyler and I were talking about how what we used to get reactions from in terms of our stern talking to is now falling upon deaf ears and we have had to take our talking to the next level, yelling.  I know I hate to admit it, but we have become yellers.  I sometimes feel I "bark" just as much as that stupid dog that is next door that barks all the time.  No wonder my kids don't listen when all I do is holler and nag them.  However I have to admit that since I have been so exhausted it is easier to "bark" than find the alternative solutions to redirect my kids.  As I type this I do realize how ridiculous this sounds.  I am complaining about how I yell, but then again I don't want to fester up energy to redirect.  Sigh...this is an issue.

This is a start though because I am admitting it is an issue right?  So what is it that I am going to do?  Well for one I think we need to start taking away the novelties in our house.  The kids need to go back to earning things rather than them just being given to them.  I truly feel that sometimes we are getting on the kids for being ungrateful, but then again we are the problem because we are providing everything for them.  Now it is our job as parents to provide certain things for the kids, but the extras, you know the screen time or the new book or toy, that stuff needs to stop.

I sometimes feel that since we can afford to provide these fun things for the kids that we should, but then I recall my childhood and how grateful we were for the little things.  I want my children to have a sense of pride that they earn things and that the sense of entitlement needs to be wrestled in so that my kids actually appreciate things.  Don't worry, I don't have complete spoiled brats and they do act grateful towards others gestures and gifts, but to their parents that is a different story.  I also have to remember they are only 2 and 4, but boy I would like to get through a day when I am not nagging the kiddos or getting frustrated with them because they seem not to care.

So as you can see this is a problem we have and I don't think we are the only family out there dealing with this particular behavior.  I have come to realize that this set back we are having right now is not something we can solve over night either.  We will have to work hard, both the kids and parents to get to a point where we feel we need to be.  It will definitely take patience and time, but we will get there.  Until then I will be attempting to redirect as much as possible, but I can't guarantee I will be on my "A" game all the time.  :)