This week has been a trial. After a long weekend of junk food, TV, and video games, I needed the kids to detox. That meant, no TV, no video games, no junk food. You know, real life – for us anyway. It hasn’t been quieter in the house though.  Actually it has been much noisier.  They are louder – I am louder.

I never thought about how still a kid has to be to play a video game and watch TV. They don’t make any noise at all.  They sit, they play, they watch.  Nobody talks – not even me.

I realized that I don’t like that. I am not going to let them watch TV all day, so since I have to speak, my goal is to speak with love.  When I catch Mr. Social crouched on the railing of the bunk bed like Spider Man about to jump, instead of “[insert whole name here], are you crazy or what?” I’ll try, “I really don’t want to see you hurt, get down from there.” See? I love you enough to stop you from breaking your neck, and I don’t think you are crazy at all… or what. Not ready to say “please” yet.  It is still an order – not a request.

Well, that SOUNDS like a plan. Sometimes surprise at the level foolishness that the kids come up with and the speed at which they execute their plans prevents me from remaining calm. Like the time that I caught them making their own bunk bed out of pillows, the crib mattress, and some stools. Visions of a trip to the emergency room flashed before my eyes, and to this day, I can’t really tell you what I said.  Hubby found it funny.  He took a picture before we dismantled it.

Speak with love – repeating that to myself. Speak. With. Love.

I can do this. What have your kids done that have made it really hard to find a kind way to speak to them? How did you handle it? Next time, how will you handle it differently?