Do you ever feel like ALL you are doing is yelling?? This weekend I feel like all I did is yell...at the kids, at the dog, at DH, at the TV (need a little humor here)....and not only that ~ DH was the same, and the kids were too. I notice that occasionally we get in these ruts, where it seems the volume of EVERYONE increases & the tones becomes more and more displeasing.

The kids ~ no matter what anyone does the first respone is to whine, scream or yell. Then when we step in and calmly try to counteract the behavior (that has now escalated) & nobody listens until we are yelling. Or after telling them 1,475,865 times (both nicely, a little more forcefully, and then YELLING) that the couch is NOT a jungle-gym, they continue.

UGH! I HATE IT!!

I woke up this morning, planning to have a new outlook on the situation ~ NO YELLING. OK ~ that lasted until about 10:00 when Karenna started shooting Lorelei with a pony tail holder, Lorelei was running around screaming her head off, Josie was melting because she didn't want her shoes on, Aurora couldn't get the dog inside (who would want to come in?), we needed to be out of the house for playgroup, and the phone rang.

Example: as I type they are currently fighting over whether or not Josie should be able to get a diaper out, whether she needs to be changed or not, and who is gonna help her, as she is screaming, and the others are now stomping and yelling.....BRB.....

Alright...situation handled...It's not as if we don't do things together ALL DAY LONG. We have made some cards, weeded the garden together, sat nicely doing each others hair, did their nails, etc.... I don't get it. Am I the only one who has this issue?? Please PLEASE tell me I am not alone (even if it's a little white fib so I feel better......humor again ) .

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No, you are definitely not alone!!! My living room furniture is also used as a jungle gym/kitchen table/art center/ whatever else they can think of to ruin it, all while I also YELL about keeping off. I think it is just another way to express their boredom with summer vacation...

You are definitely not alone! You just described my weekend... I feel hoarse from yelling so much!

You know you are not alone!!!

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~Happiness is a large family~

Oh you are so NOT alone!! I just said this to DH last night that I feel like all I do is yell at the kids when trying to get them to bed - why can't they just go to bed??? LOL Next time I am going to say I feel like Mrs. Yelling McYellerton!

You are NOT ALONE!!! I ask myself that same question everyday (as the yelling gets louder). Nobody can speak at a normal level in my house anymore - the ONLY way to get anybody's attention is to yell or scream. When the 2 younger ones start to go at it...you yell to get them to stop - the oldest and younger ones...yell to get them to stop...yell at DH to turn down the TV - which he'll reply - "if everyone would stop yelling I could hear it" as he is raising his voice to say that!!

I feel like I apologize to my neighbors all of the time for yelling because you would swear my kids, dogs, DH, and MIL were all deaf!!! Either that or I'm speaking another language, and it only sounds like English when the tone of it gets higher and louder!!!

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"Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake!" - ANONYMOUS

At least 1 time a week I tell myself that I'm going to stop yelling. Then after a few hours I end up yelling. You are not alone.

I used to yell more than I do now. I think what broke me was listening to my sil yell at her own kids. It wasn't really that effective..and it sounded so ugly. No matter what the kids had done, it was my sil who ended up looking like the bad guy. Don't get me wrong, I definitely still do it, and at times, it is the only thing appropriate...but I just do not do it as much as then! Instead, we do a lot of time outs....but not the "sit in the corner" kind. We more take a break from each other. If everyone is fussing, whiney, whatever, we all go to our rooms for no set amount of time...just until everyone comes down, sometimes all at once, sometimes one at a time..but all in a better/nicer mood. Sometimes even MOM goes to HER room, too!!! I do this whether we are at home for the day or on our way out to go somewhere...and the kids know I mean business as far as we won't be going until they chill out. It usually chills pretty quickly if they want to leave in time to get where we were going!!! I have also gone as far as to do this in a restaurant once! I may have looked a fool to the people around us, when I sat each of my kids in different tables around us...but I figure they would rather wonder about ME than to listen to my kids fight with each other!!! LOL

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

I am sooo glad that I am not alone on this one. I just don't know how to climb back out of the funk. We usually do it...however it happens ( ). Why do they make those darn yelling ruts soooo big? It's sure easier to trip and fall into one than to climb the heck out.

We do the time out things too (and trust me ~ I certainly have been taking my share!) However all the girls share a room, so I have to spread them out all over if I want them separated. But then even THAT turns into a yelling match as they complain that it's not fair that so & so gets to go to the kitchen, and so & so gets to go to the dining room. I swear they can turn ANYTHING into a fight lately.

Oh well....tomorrow is another day ~

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When my hubby gets sick of me yelling he tells me I sound just like my mother That usually gets me to stop.

But sometimes I just give him a stare and tell him I can either yell at our DD or smack her and I would prefer to yell than lay a hand on her.

Jen