So I had the fun experience of taking care of my kids through laryngitis, where I lost my voice completely! Don’t worry it’s no longer contagious over the Internet! As there are sometimes good things that come out of bad situations, it made me realize a few things:
- You don’t need to yell at your kids If you like yelling, then go ahead! No one’s going to judge you (unless they see you of course.) 🙂 But yelling often just makes us angrier and only escalates the problem. By yelling at our kids, we teach them that raising your voices gets you your way – not a nice lesson. Try lowering your voice instead and see what happens. It kind of freaks them out! Pretty hilarious to see. They’re really wondering what they’ve done! It makes them listen very carefully. And they keep their voices down as well (a bonus).
- Action is better than words Speaking less means more action. Like moving them instead of repeatedly asking them to stop jumping on the bed. They don’t get the attention they’re seeking through behaving badly. And they learn quickly what behaviours are ok through the consequence of their choice.
- It’s hard not being able to say what you want This one goes out to all you toddlers out there (you know who you are!) The ones who know what you want, but can’t express it. I’ve felt your pain. And yes, It’s very frustrating! If you experience the loss of your voice, you’ll see that it’s not easy being a small person (a very nice lesson indeed for us big people). I hope being fed and carried around make up for it.
- Speaking fewer words makes them more meaningful When you have to pick and chose what you say, it cuts out all the unnecessary stuff we say. And there’s a surprising amount of it! It also makes you a better conversationalist by both being a better listener and providing a more thoughtful response.
In conclusion, thank you very much laryngitis. You’ve somehow made my life a little better.