mirror mirror

The other day Hannah (the 3 yr old red head) said something that sounded a little mean. I thought "she must have heard that from her mother"... maybe she did or maybe she heard it from someone who looked like me. 

When our kids do or say bad things, we can discipline them but we also have to ask where did they learn or hear that. Sometimes even things we say that was meant as a joke, when repeated, can sound different. 

I can be playing with the dog and say "bad dog" when she scratches the mess out of me or "stupid dog" when she runs off and we can't find her for an hour... but when Hannah repeats "stupid bad dog" it sounds awful. 

Another thing Hannah does now is discipline her babies. If you want to see how they view you, watch them with their babies. Hannah was telling one of her babies how disappointed she was and how it was not nice to do that. It got us thinking. 

Deni and I have decided to intentionally watch the tone & volume of our voice. We want to see if it makes a difference. We will not yell when we discipline or be negative when we talk. We saw a difference in ONE DAY!!! 

Hannah was happier and more positive after just one day of creating a positive atmosphere. She was talking nice to us, her sisters and even the stupid bad dog. Hannah is a very happy active child. It is our responsibility to make sure she grows up in a peaceful home.

My point: when you watch shows like nanny 911 or super nanny, you NEVER hear them tell you that you should scream or yell at your child more. I understand that raising your voice is necessary sometimes. It should be the exception not the rule. 

If you show self control, so will they. If your house is always chaotic and stressfull maybe you should take a peek in the ol' mirror. 

I HATE hearing parents yell at their kids. I want to introduce them to "Mr. Sockfull O. Nickels"