Are You A Yeller?

It was one of those mornings. A morning when one child pooped in his pants at the park. Again. And another pooped in his pants in the yard. Again.

Everyone threw dirt and mulch at each other despite being asked repeatedly to stop and even sitting in time out for the crime.

Fits were thrown, and one of them was mine.

Then I talked with a friend this afternoon. I bemoaned yelling at my kids. She didn't say, "Don't worry we all do it." She didn't say, "It's no big deal." She listened and then she said, "You know, there's yelling at your kids and yelling at your kids."

Hmmmmm.

You know what? She's right.

Her example was that some people yell at their kids over things kids do, like accidentally spilling a cup of milk. And that's a far cry from raising your voice to put a stop to a crowd of kids doing something they shouldn't, like throwing sand, throwing food, biting, hitting, shoving etc...

She wasn't trying to justify yelling. Just pointing out that all yelling isn't equal. She encouraged me to keep trying to solve problems without yelling, but to quit beating myself up when I appropriately used one of the tools in my mommy arsenal.

I really needed that perspective and encouragement today.

Here's to putting it into action tomorrow.

© Trippin' Mama 2011