Skip to main content

How I learned to stop yelling at the kids...


With the kids in school, we've talked a lot lately about being kind to others. And listening when our teachers (and parents) talk to us.  The kids are pretty good with being kind, but it's the listening piece we've struggled with.  Lately I find myself yelling at them because they are generally misbehaving more.  They seem to be keeping it together at school; it's only at home that we've had a lot of struggles with following directions, picking up toys, not fighting with our siblings, and general meltdowns over random things (mainly due to being over-tired I've surmised). 

I've prayed for patience and to not have to yell at them.  I thought that God would answer my prayers by having the children behave better and listen more.  Yeah, it didn't quite happen that way.

Last Monday, I started having a stabbing pain every time I coughed. (And I was coughing a lot thanks to being sick.)  Turns out I have an inflammation of my cartilage under my breastbone.  I can't take anti-inflammatory medication for it - the only advice the doctor had was to wait it out. Once the inflammation goes down, the pain will go away. But to settle the pain, I need to stop coughing, sneezing, working out, and generally moving the right half of my body since when I move my rib cage, it bothers the inflammed cartilage. Since most of those things cannot be control, I'm stuck in pain for most of my day. It's really rather annoying since I still have to go to work, do my house duties, and care for the children. (And take deep breaths from time to time.) 

Yesterday Keith was gone most of the day.

The children were not behaving well

I yelled.

Then I cried because yelling makes the pain worse.

As I sat outside watching the three kids build a house out of leaves then kick it down with a soccer ball, I was looking up at the sky through the trees when it hit me.  

God answered my prayer to not yell anymore.

Just not in exactly the way that I had hoped.

It reminded me of the old Stones song:

You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometimes
You get what you need....

I forget sometimes that God always answers your prayers: in His own way, not necessarily the way you want Him too.  I have to keep reminding myself to be patient and wait this pain out (although the ability to be able to run would be nice since I have a race in 3 weeks that I probably can't do).  I also now have a fool-proof way to NOT yell at the kids (however, they still don't seem to be behaving any better...).  In a roundabout way, God is speaking to me... I just need to figure out what he's trying to say.

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

Comments

Unknown said…
Hope you feel better soon. xxx

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review...and a Giveaway!!!

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of When the Rogue Returns  from Sabrina Jeffries herself! I couldn't wait to read it.  After reading the first book in The Duke's Men series, What the Duke Desires , I was excited to see that this next book was about Victor Cale. In  When the Rogue Returns , Victor Cale is headed to Scotland to investigate a woman, Sofie Franke.  He has his suspicions that this woman is actually Isabella, his wife who disappeared on him ten years before.  He has spent the last decade searching to bring her to justice after she stole the royal jewels and left him to behind to deal with the authorities.  Isabella Cale, now known as Sofie Franke, has built a new life for herself and her ten-year old daughter after her husband ran off with the royal jewels. Are you intrigued yet? Victor and Isa's first meeting was great! Both blame the other for the missing jewels, and both are greatly suspicious of the other's motives.  Despite their renewed feel

Enjoy the little things...

The music filled my head as I drove my car along the winding river road on that dark and snowy night.  I had just left my grandpa's wake and was headed home... alone.....  My husband had the stomach flu, we had moved into our new house the day before my grandpa passed, and I was 5 1/2 months pregnant.  The baby boy inside me kicked along with the song, as I cried and listened to the words. Mama told me when I was young Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say. And if you do this It will help you some sunny day. Take your time... Don't live too fast, Troubles will come and they will pass. Go find a woman and you'll find love, And don't forget son, There is someone up above. I've always found comfort in songs... the words of the artists resonating with me through even my darkest times. Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man is one of those songs that just happens to play on the radio at the precise moment that I need a remind

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

The countdown to Hallowe'en begins! Please note this is not the actual number of days until Hallowe'en. The picture was taken two days ago. The house is totally decorated, although I still could use a few more things ;) One of the cool new decorations I bought this year are these Halloween Pumpkin Wall Decals from Kohls.  I love them!  My structured, OCD self feels the mantle is too cluttered, but the spooky side of me just doesn't care. ;) How do you decorate for Hallowe'en?