You know my friend Sarah? She has a blog, Think Big Much. She also recently had another kid, and it’s possible that sweet Liberty has pushed her over the edge and now she is crazy.
Sarah has decided to give up yelling for lent.
This is a wonderful, admirable, challenge, one that as she says “will hopefully improve the lives of my children, my husband and myself for a period longer than 40 days. Maybe even forever.”
But I still think she’s crazy.
And now I have a glass house stone throwing problem. Somehow, something I said over at Think Big Much must have computed as “I’m up for the challenge”, because I was listed as one of her friends who are joining her… or Sarah is giving me a not so subtle hint. Not being catholic, I’ve never given up so much as candy for lent, so giving up yelling seems a bit extreme, but I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to back down from such a challenge… so I’m in, and probably crazy too.
Today (I’m counting today as my first official day) went well. We are all feeling better and I only yelled once. It wasn’t really a yelling at so much as a startled oh-my-you-are-dumping-your-whole-bowl-of-soup-on-your-lap sort of yell. In that circumstances I thought a “CLARA NO!!!!” was totally appropriate!
So I’m not counting it.
Sarah has a very elegantly written post on why she is undertaking this here: http://thinkbigmuch.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/on-decreasing-the-scream-factor/
She actually has reasons beyond stubborn pride, she’s such a good girl!
I also have a review of Screamfree parenting hiding here: Screamfree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel
Feel free to join us, in this crazy plan…
… crazy, I mean really, a hundred push ups seems approximately a hundred times easier than not yelling at the girls for the next thirty some days!
Sarah has been posting updates on how things are going and I will add my thoughts to hers.
If the crazy bug is catching, feel free to join us, I’m pretty sure this is a good kind of crazy…
…I think…
Behind the Willows 
I counted you in from the beginning because you read, reviewed and summarized Screamfree Parenting for me. I knew you had already been trying, but have fallen off the wagon a time or too, like myself. Good luck my friend! Thanks for painting me in such good light!
AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
Love it!
I shouldn’t comment cause I’m pretty sure I did my fair share of screaming. I’d like to think that you and Tyler turned out pretty darn good despite it. Possibly because of it? I’m not talking the I’m completely out of control having a break down screaming, but is there something to be said for recognizing impending insanity in a parent and learning avoidance techniques. Is that not part of survival in the real word? Is there something wrong with primordial? Corky…are you with me??? Ayeeeeeeeeee!!!
Here’s the thing… If I scream and yell too much my kids will actually lose that survival instinct and then when my insanity is impending they will have lost all sense of avoidance!
Forgot to say best of luck to all of you whole have taken up the challenge. I’m sticking to push ups 🙂
Yep, I’m with Mom…a well placed scream works wonders, for Mom and kiddos. Just don’t overdo it, or they won’t know when you mean business.
Very interesting term from mom….”avoidance techniques”….which could also be known as learning how to read “non-verbal body cues” (a very important survival technique for young un’s to learn) which could also go by the very technical term of “wooo”!
But…if you can just hang on 20 more years, the scream factor becomes negliable (which must mean it serves some sort of purpose for about 20 years) heh?
Jessie, I really enjoy your writing. You make me smile. 🙂
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