No matter what you do, you can't get your kids to acquiesce to even the smallest of requests.
You find yourself turning into a raging lunatic, and 8 o'clock can't get here soon enough.
Hopefully, you have been following my TEACHable Moments, and those days are becoming few and far between, but if and when you experience that kind of discordance, you don't have to battle your way to bedtime.
An attitude of gratitude sometimes starts with a little less bitchin'.
I found myself complaining (even silently, in my head) more often than not...
about the small stuff.
about the proverbial (and literal) milk spilling.
about the eggs breaking.
or my gluten-free brownies sucking.
I let situations change my mood.
Tsk, tsk. I know better. (see, I just judged myself there) But how can I DO better?
Our emotions can consciously or unconsciously direct our actions. We can use our feelings to empower us, or we can allow them to dismantle us.
Whatever you are feeling, whether it be stress, anger, annoyance, frustration, joy, silliness, sadness, etc., your child is not only able to pick up on your vibe, but s/he will almost always mirror it back to you.
I am currently trying to end this nasty habit of letting my emotions unconsciously rule me.
To master this, I am attempting to engage in the art of no complaining. The idea is not to complain for an entire 24-hour period—or longer.
Yelling? Pfft. I'm on it - aware, confident, open.
Complaining?
I've started over fourteen times since 6:00a.m.
It is shocking to me how hard it is not to make a single complaint in just an hour, let alone 24.
What this exercise will do is bring you back to the present moment - the HERE and NOW, where your child lives, and guide you to re-focus your attention on the good things in your life.
The more you focus on what you are grateful for by immediately recognizing what you are complaining about, a shift takes place.
You become more aware of your own VIBE.
Kids pick up on vibes. Words mean little to them, especially younger children. They respond and react to the emotional energy you are putting out.
Complaining tends to keep you in a rut of negativity.
If your vibe lacks gratitude, your naturally joy-filled child is going to put you on "ignore" — or maybe become inflexible, rigid, or resistant to your requests.
Rightfully so, they don’t want you messing with their vibe, of course.
You can force the situation and demand compliance, but you are most likely to end up more frustrated, and your child will be less inclined to align with your wishes.
So take the next 24 hours, or maybe a week, to try this little experiment and then watch for a change in your kids.
Look for changes in behavior, flexibility, mood, and/or a desire to cooperate. It’s amazing how fast you’ll begin to notice the transformation – in yourself and your kids.
The more you can access your well of happiness, the happier your kids will be, too.
Thank you for reading!
Talk soon,
Lori
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