and I'm not talking in the "I'm not empowered, so I have no voice" kind of way. I literally mean I HAVE NO VOICE. I can only talk in whispers and it's really more effective to just write down what I want to say. Annoying? Yes. But at least it's taught me a lesson or two ...
1. Having no voice, yet attempting to talk (even if it only comes out as a whisper) takes as much energy as yelling.
This is so true. In fact, on several occasions, I have gotten lightheaded if I tried to carry on a conversation. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant or maybe it's just that when I do try to talk, I feel like I'm getting a serious abdominal workout and screaming at the top of my lungs. I'm not quite sure, but either way it's not a lot of fun.
2. You can tell a three-year old anything and they will believe it.
I told Dizzle that I had lost my voice, so she asked where it went. "On vacation" was my immediate response and ever since then she has been asking me "When is your voice going to get back from vacation?" and "Why did it go on vacation without you?"
3. I yell (I mean raise my voice) at my children far more often that I had realized.
Sometimes it's to get their attention. Sometimes it's because I'm in the other room. Sometimes to save them from injury. Sometimes it's because they are acting like lunatics and it needs to stop immediately. But whatever the reason, I do it a lot. And it's very frustrating not to be able to do it.
4. But most importantly, I now realize that I don't need to yell at my children to discipline them.
Amazing, right? But in the last three days, I have not been able to yell once and yet, they have listened to me completely. Perhaps, because I am whispering they have to listen better. Or maybe they don't feel like I'm trying to control them. But whatever the reason, it is now my personal goal to keep the yelling to a minimum. And maybe, just maybe I will have two very cooperative children ...
No comments:
Post a Comment