I love her answer….more than poop, how cute.
.-= Maria @ Conversations with Moms´s last post ..Sunday Jokes – Thanksgiving humor =-.

I think though, that as important it is for us to keep from yelling, its important for the kids to see that we are remorseful about it. Whenever I lose my temper and yell, I always apologize to the girls and explain that I am working on my temper. I don’t let them get away with whatever they were doing in the first place, but I explain that there are right ways and wrong ways to deal with your anger and sometimes mommy forgets that and that I am sorry.
.-= Shelly´s last post ..Knitting Away High Expectations =-.

When that is said, it’s everyone’s cue to take a moment and calm down (it goes back to an incident between hubby and his best friend while they were in college). We name off a topping, sometimes searching for the silliest thing we can think of (purple spotted mushrooms and swiss cheese, as an example), which of course makes tempers cool even more. No one is allowed to get irritated at the phrase dropper, though I have been known to give a response of “Nothing til I’m done yelling…” – usually because the teen-ager has done something truly boneheaded and I’m really angry. However, stopping to answer, in any way, such a question does a great job of re-directing the energies that have gone awry.

We try hard not to yell too much, as the little one is very reactive to intensity, and will start yelling and crying and hitting at us if we get too loud and angry. We try not to subject him to that… not fair to him or us.

I do want to echo the apologies and snuggle/cuddle afterwards. Especially important in our house, since the little one needs to see that love still exists even if there has been yelling and anger. Hang in there, sounds like you’re doing a great job, and don’t let your inner voice heap a guilt trip on you.
.-= Laura´s last post ..Learning from your kids… =-.

Not been over for a while and then I come and read this post and realised how much I’ve missed reading.

Love it. Hannah is adorable and you are far more nice than mean – that shines through every word. I love the relationship you have.

I am rarely the mum I wish I was but I make up for it with extra cuddles and putting everything aside for an hour of my undivided attention. We spend an afternoon walking 100 metres and look at everything there is to see, walk in circles and sit down for a bit. Then we eat cake and laugh at each other. And I do.not.rush.

I can’t wait for him to talk so he can tell me what he’s thinking. It’ll probably be about bums and poop too xx

Every single day I wake up and think I’m going to be a nicer mom. And every day I feel like I fall down on the job. It’s not like I’m an ogre but I don’t measure up to my own ideal. Every night my son tells me he loves me (though not more than poop) so I must not be as bad as I think. Mother’s guilt – it’s hard to avoid.
.-= Marilyn´s last post ..Potty Mouth =-.

we’re working on not losing our “feistiness” but learning how to control it appropriately and apologising when appropriate

but he still thinks i’m mean and occasionally announces he’d rather live with my sister, the awesome aunty b.

and then he writes nice messages on the windows for me to read (bless crayola window markers!)
.-= pomomama aka ebbandflo´s last post ..volunteerism – at home and away =-.