{"id":7418,"date":"2017-03-10T08:10:31","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T14:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=7418"},"modified":"2017-03-10T08:10:31","modified_gmt":"2017-03-10T14:10:31","slug":"so-youve-tried-to-stop-yelling-but-have-you-tried-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2017\/03\/10\/so-youve-tried-to-stop-yelling-but-have-you-tried-this\/","title":{"rendered":"So You\u2019ve Tried to Stop Yelling \u2026 But Have You Tried This?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Once I knew the depth of where no hope was and darkness lay on the face of things.
\n<\/em>Then love came and set my soul free.”\u00a0<\/em>– Helen Keller<\/p>\n

Forever engrained in my mind will be a scream so maniacal, so ear-piercing, so desperate that my older daughter ran and put her arms around her baby sister. They were afraid \u2026 but no more afraid than I was of myself. Yelling was my cry for help \u2026 my distress flare sent\u00a0into the sky\u00a0\u2026 my lowest point of desperation. That scream, the one that actually hurt my throat, is one of my greatest regrets and one of my greatest blessings.<\/p>\n

Although I did not know how I was going to stop yelling, I was certain I didn\u2019t want my children to grow up afraid. I wanted to be remembered for my smile, not my scowl. I wanted my children to wear love like armor, not scars from sharply delivered words. I wanted to be a safe haven, not someone to avoid. I wanted my children\u2019s inner voice to sound like grace, not inadequacy.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward six years to today. I am no longer a yeller. Yes, I get sad, frustrated, angry, hopeless, and insecure, but there is a profound difference in what I do once I get there: I don\u2019t stay there<\/em>. My ability to come back to love, patience, grace, and positivity did not happen overnight. Maintaining a sense of calm in challenging situations took years of work and painful introspection which I catalog in my first book<\/a>. But for today\u2019s purposes, I\u2019m going to start small. I want to help someone right now<\/em> with actionable steps. This small-step approach to change is the whole premise of my new book, ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a>. Unlike most books, a powerful takeaway can be gained through a two-minute reading\u00a0from any point in the book. When taken to heart, the words have the potential to\u00a0inspire lasting change in your heart and home.<\/p>\n

The beauty of the seven\u00a0suggestions\u00a0below is they will improve any<\/em> relationship, not just parent\/child. Above all, these suggestions provide what I believe is most critical to ending yelling in your home once and for all: HOPE<\/strong> \u2013 hope for who you already are and hope for who you can become.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Find your truest voice<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Your truest voice speaks fears. It speaks truths. It speaks hopes. It speaks desires. It speaks dreams. It speaks hurts. Unlike the voice that barks empty threats and sweeping generalizations, your truest voice can be heard. Unlike the voice that spews sarcasm, accusations, and defensiveness, your truest voice feels like peace when it is spoken. Unlike the voice that hurls insults and patronizing words, your truest voice won\u2019t drive you away from the people you love.<\/p>\n

I found my truest voice by writing down my thoughts in tiny notebooks. Over the past several years, I\u2019ve released trapped emotions, let go of suppressed memories, and liberated shameful thoughts in my pocket-size notebooks that I carry with me at all times. Through these pages, my angriest\u00a0voice got weaker\u00a0and my truest voice got stronger. Through the notebooks, I was able to put feelings into words. I was able to gain clarity. I felt heard by something far greater than myself, and that gave me comfort.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s through a notebook, an easel, or the lens of a camera \u2026 whether it\u2019s through dancing, singing, cooking, or meditating on a rubber mat \u2026 whether it\u2019s through running, coloring, or coin collecting, finding your truest voice and listening to what it uncovers will bring healing.<\/p>\n

Go public with your intention<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Making a public declaration of my goal was instrumental to breaking my yelling pattern. I informed my daughters what I was trying\u00a0to work on. I let them know that when I felt like I was losing control, I would say these words: \u201cI\u2019m having a hard time right now.\u201d<\/strong> When they heard that phrase, they knew I either needed space or to do what I was asking them to do. Talking about my outbursts before they happened provided my family with a \u201cheads up\u201d to be gentle with me when I was on the edge.<\/p>\n

Other public declarations might sound like this:<\/p>\n

I\u2019m making an effort to use a kinder tone of voice. I may need your gentle reminders.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m making an effort to let you do more things on your own without my comments, judgment, or criticism. When you say, \u201cI got it, Mom,\u201d I will step back. <\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m making an effort to use a peaceful response in times of stress and overwhelm. Would you put your hand on your heart when I am hurting you with my words or tone as a reminder of my promise? <\/em><\/p>\n

Post your declaration and read it often. I keep this one by my bedside to recite each morning before I get out of bed:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cToday I will choose love. If I mistakenly choose distraction, perfection, or negativity over love, I will not wallow in regret. I will choose love next.\u201d RMS, Only Love Today<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nLook directly at your loved one before responding<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In moments of frustration, challenge, and overwhelm, I make sure I am looking directly into the faces of my loved ones before I respond. In that critical pause, I see people who count on me to care for them, love them, and guide them. I see people who are learning how to live by watching me live. I see people who will use similar responses when they are having a hard time. Taking a three-second pause to look at them, really look at them, enables me to model a response I would be proud see them use in stressful times. Really seeing them helps me come back to a place where my voice can be heard<\/em> instead of hurtful.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stop self-sabotage with a sticky note <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Once you get into the habit of being hard on yourself and focusing on your mistakes, it\u2019s difficult to stop. But breaking a yelling pattern is not going to come from a place of shame and condemnation. Positive change is going to come from a place of grace and encouragement. To help me when I get into a pattern of harsh self-judgment, I put a sticky note in my pocket. Each time I do something kind, helpful, loving, or patient, I make a hash mark on the note. At the end of the day, I look at my hash marks \u2013 whether it\u2019s two or twenty-two \u2013 I celebrate the times I chose love over the alternatives.<\/p>\n

Recording every positive action with a mark makes this an active process. We are then more apt to notice our goodness, which shifts it away from the failings. By focusing on our positives, it has the tendency to carry over to others.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

See What is Good in Others <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Another way to stop the yelling pattern is to challenge yourself to voice any and all positives about your loved ones\u2014what they say, what they do, and who they are. Examples:<\/p>\n

“I appreciate the kind way you responded just then.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“I love the way you dug into that meal I made! Thank you for that!”<\/em><\/p>\n

“You treated your sister so lovingly. Did you see the way she looked at you?”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI love spending time with you. You come up with the best ideas.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Human beings, no matter age, respond to praise and affirmation. They will want to do more actions that make you proud. Be sure and notice the joy in his or her face and grab it. Hold on to it. Lethan it give you hope that you are making progress and creating a positive home environment.<\/p>\n

*Important note<\/em><\/strong> – If there is an issue or problem you need to mention, make it a statement with no judgment. I use Sandy Blackard<\/a>\u2019s positive approach of Saying What You See<\/em><\/a>: \u201cYour clean clothes are on the floor,\u201d instead of, \u201cPick those up.\u201d This way, my child is the one who comes up with the solution. Sandy writes, \u201cBy listening and letting children solve their own problems, they learn how to get along without your intervention, which you can then point out as a strength.\u201d Through Sandy, I\u2019ve learned the power in leaving out all suggestions unless I know my suggestions will feel like help to my child. My daughters know what is expected of them (they have a list<\/a> they mark off each morning and each evening that must be completed before screens can be enjoyed.) Utilizing lists alleviates nagging that turns into yelling.<\/p>\n

Post and recite mantras until they become go-to phrases <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Plastered throughout my house (on kitchen cabinets, bathroom mirror, closet door, and the daily calendar) were pressure-reducing mantras. When I saw them, I recited them. Like stop signs, they helped me slow down to love and be loved:<\/p>\n

Mistakes mean we\u2019re learning. <\/em><\/p>\n

See flowers not weeds. <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Come as you are<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s good enough for today. <\/em><\/p>\n

You are doing the best you can. <\/em><\/p>\n

Today matters more than yesterday<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Only love today<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Give yourself grace <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Sometimes by eight o\u2019clock a.m., I can already name a few things\u00a0I wished I\u2019d done differently. But instead of beating myself up over them, I remind myself of this: My humanness allows my loved ones to be human. My courage to get up after I stumble gives my loved ones the courage to get up after they stumble. Loving myself despite my failures, flaws, and imperfections gives the people in my life permission to love themselves \u201cas is.\u201d Love doesn\u2019t have to be perfect (or anywhere near it) to be felt, absorbed, and transformative.<\/p>\n

You can feel like you\u2019re failing and still BE LOVE.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can feel like you\u2019re in the dark and still be someone\u2019s light.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

You can feel like you\u2019re going under and still lift someone up.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Love prevails over failures, flaws, and imperfect days.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

That's what I believe. That's what I live. And that brings me hope.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Friends<\/a>, the tips I shared in this post are found throughout my new book, ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a> \u2013 a uniquely formatted daily inspiration book designed to help you find peace and positivity in the struggles of everyday life. As I worked on this post yesterday, I received the most painfully raw and courageous book review from a woman raised by an angry mother. She calls my new book \u201can answer to her prayers\u201d because it gives her the grace she needs to break the cycle. Beth writes:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re still struggling to access love because you\u2019ve been shrouded in anger for as long as you can remember, I completely understand.\u00a0I was too.\u00a0And some days I still am,\u00a0even though\u00a0I don\u2019t want to be. See, anger has a way of growing roots inside us. And those roots run deep,\u00a0far deeper than you could ever imagine. Even when you\u00a0think you\u2019ve\u00a0plucked them all out, it\u2019s not uncommon to realize some may have been missed. But that doesn\u2019t mean you\u00a0should give up trying to pull them all out; it just means you\u00a0need to get out your toolbox and try again. Only Love Today<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is one of the most important tools you\u2019ll ever put in your toolbox. <\/em>It is the book I wish my mother had read. And it is the book I wish every mother would read.<\/strong>\u201d \u2013Beth Nowak, M. Ed. The Words I Wish All Women Would Read<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/a>ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a> is available at Amazon<\/a>, Barnes and Noble<\/a>, Target stores and Target.com<\/a>. My publisher has graciously allowed me to extend the pre-order bonus gift through Saturday (3\/11). The gift is a collection of 12 hand-lettered reminders to breathe more, stress less, and choose love that can be posted throughout your home. Just email a copy of your receipt to rachelmacystafford@gmail.com<\/a>. Many of the\u00a0healing mantras mentioned in this post are wearable wristbands in metal, leather, and silicone. Click here to shop<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for making ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a> an #1 instant bestseller in three categories on Amazon<\/a>! What a momentous week! I am so grateful for your support of my work, friends of the Hands Free Revolution<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Once I knew the depth of where no hope was and darkness lay on the face of things. Then love came and set my soul free.”\u00a0– Helen Keller Forever engrained in my mind will be a scream so maniacal, so ear-piercing, so desperate that my older daughter ran and put her arms around her baby […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1778,1780,1782,1748,1781,18,1779],"tags":[841],"gutentor_comment":16,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC_0829-e1489149606274.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-1VE","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7418"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}