It’s no secret that I yell at my kids. It’s how I was raised and it’s a behavior that I’m working very hard on changing.
Since I took the challenge to stop yelling, I’ve only really yelled a couple of times. It’s something that takes effort, but the longer I go without yelling, the easier it is to not yell.
I’ve set up a few techniques to help me along in my journey, but this tip might be my favorite one of them all.
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It’s having physical reminders around me.
I was reminded about how important physical reminders are from a wonderful post from Alissa at Creative with Kids, The Day I realized I Was Bullying My Kids. She uses pink hearts in the most creative of ways as a physical reminder for her whole family to be respectful.
I love that idea, but I wanted to use my physical reminders a bit differently.
So, I cut out yellow hearts…my 4 year old’s favorite color.
Then, I posted them around me as reminders to not yell. I put one in my wallet. I stuck one to the rear view mirror in my car. There’s one on my bathroom mirror, on my computer, on my phone… They are all over the place.
Now, when I’m starting to feel frustrated, I just have to look up and find a heart. They remind me to pause, take a breath, and refocus.
The most effective ones for me are:
The one on the door going out to the garage. I’m often times frantic when leaving the house because I feel like I’m always in a hurry. Having that heart there, is so helpful for me to center myself in all the chaos.The one on my refrigerator. I have a tendency to get angry when cooking because I’m trying to multitask and my kids are often hungry and whiny. All I have to do is look up at the fridge, focus on the heart, take a deep breath, and calm down.The one on my son’s bedroom door. By his bedtime, I’m done most days. I’m tired and just want him to go to bed so I can have some alone time. This one reminds me to slow down and enjoy this quiet time with him.
It’s simple, yet effective.
I’ve also put up a few of my favorite mantras around the house and even bought a coffee cup with my favorite morning mantra. Having these kind, thoughtful words around me has been wonderful for my soul.
They set me up for a beautiful day, and keep me motivated and on the right loving path throughout my day. I love my mantras.
This tip is just one of the many tips I give in my eCourse, Mama’s Anger Management.
If you want more great tips, including over 50 Calm Down Strategies, you should check it out. It will give you everything you need to stop the yelling and have a peaceful home with your kids.
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4 Secrets to a Less Stressed Mom
5 Big Myths About Yelling At Kids
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