Monday, May 12, 2008

Inside voice

Is there anything like "...and even if she gives a glare" in your 9-year old's Mother's Day poem to you to make you feel like a shitty mother? I can't think of it if there is.

Does anyone know if antidepressants help you yell less at your kids? I mean, I know sleep helps with that but in the absence of good sleep in the next year or so, can I take drugs for being a bitch? Non-yelling mamas, what are your secrets?

7 comments:

Amber said...

I wish I knew. I've been bitchy for weeks and weeks. My poor kids.

marcy harriell | oonaballoona said...

no children here, but: lots of chocolate, plenty of red wine and the ability to say "i'm sorry" goes a looooooong way with my husband.

does it help that reading your blog makes me wish for children wreaking havoc just for me?

Joan said...

I don't know. I guess I was fortunate my kids slept pretty well from 8 weeks on. I yell at my children but for other reasons.

Sugarmama said...

Amber, it's at least good to know I'm not alone. I do wonder sometimes whether I'm just the world's most impatient parent, or if other moms have a similarly hard time.

Oonaballoona--give the kids wine and chocolate? Check. Just kidding. In my better moments, I totally see that I'm a lucky woman indeed to have kids at all. I just wish my better moments were, y'know, longer.

Joan, so far I haven't yelled at my kids for not sleeping, but do I lose my patience WAY easier if I haven't slept well. And it's been quite some time since I slept well! I hear some people have babies that sleep, but the baby AND my 3-year old girl don't sleep through the night! Arrgh!

Mama D said...

Yep. I'm trying to prepare myself for even worse sleep deprivation and gearing myself up to find some patience... somewhere. You are not alone.

Unknown said...

I always said I should be Italian, because I yell, but I don't consider the "mean yell". My kids aren't offended by it and don't cringe. I also give "the stare" it works wonders.

Look at this way. If your kids are at school, and the class is being really loud, and the teacher yells at them to "JUST BE QUIET!" do you want them cry cause they aren't used to being yelled at? When they get a job or go in the military, they will be yelled at, so how are the supposed to get accustomed to it? I know kids who have never been yelled at, (my step kids) and when they first heard me yell, "GET DOWN HERE NOW!" or "STOPE HITTING YOUR SISTER OR YOUR GONNA GET IT!" They were scared shitless. Now they just take it all in stride.

Hey, you don't yell all the time. And yelling mean things and cursing is SO different from your basic yelling.

Does any of that make sense?

Anonymous said...

I wish I knew what to tell you. I still yell at my kids a good bit. On one hand, I feel bad for them. On the other hand, don't they know how to act by now?

If you find something that works, please let me know!