Stop the Screeching by Chaya Houpt
This is a very funny guest post from my favorite new blog AllVictories. Enjoy!
There comes a point in every toddler’s life when he realizes that he can make a really cool, loud, high-pitched shrieking sound anytime he wants. No? Your children don’t do this? Okay, I don’t want to hear about it.
Anyway, my girls went through a shrieking phase, and now it’s B.A.’s turn. And you know how every mother has her thing, a personal pet issue that makes her a little crazy? Like how some women are freaked out about choking risks and other people can’t stand clutter? No, this doesn’t ring a bell? Nothing ruffles you? Fine, now I’m unfriending you on Facebook .
So my thing is noise. It’s a little ridiculous to be a parent of young kids and have a hard time with noise, but there you have it. My children have no electronic toys. Uncle Moishe is an unknown presence in my house. Noise makes me jittery.
And when my children learn to shriek, they quickly grasp that it comes with a certain power. I probably get a pleading look on my phase and this just makes them want to screech more. So I have discovered a workaround.
When my kids start going with the shrill silliness, I say, “Wow, that’s a loud noise. Can you make any other silly noises? How about this one?”
And then I demonstrate some kind of crazy noise in a less-annoying pitch. Something low and hard to yell, like a grrrrrrrrowl, or a buzzzzzzz. The sillier the better. B.A. likes a nice long “Fffffffff.”
What’s your mini-victory?
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com user Aaron
Brilliant!!! I’m sure this can be applied to everything: tantrum? Wow, that’s a kick! How about this one?! Silent treatment? Oh. It’s quiet time. I’m gonna go over there and be quiet too…
I love it!!
wait, silent treatment is a bad thing??? (heh)
My favorite is when my too-old-for-that son starts his whining and running in place tempter tantrum, I tell him that I need to get him tap dance shoes one of these days. I also join him in his little ditty. Sometimes he’s amused, mostly he’s annoyed, but I feel much better! Humor works wonders…
chaya, i enjoyed your article. When my little ones start kveching or crying in my “victory moments” i just start singing “it’s going to be ok” and then exclaim really confidently, “we’re going to get through this!” i am not sure who i am trying to convince more, me or them, but it works wonders for me.
another victory i had recently is when i started to doubt myself, you know that voice, ” why didnt i…”, “i should have…” blaa blaa blaa, all of a sudden, i raised my hands to the sky and cheered, “Ima’s doing great!” that really beat the yetzer hara and the kids were ammused! good luck to us all. We should all be blessed with a lot of koach and simcha!
Ima’s doing great! I love it! I think I’m going to adopt it! I could use a cheering squad these days, so I’ll appoint myself to it. Thanks!
Ima’s doing great! I love that.
Great stuff here. I’m enjoying everyone’s tips and tidbits.