Tonight my oldest son taught me a lesson. I want to share it because even though I am not happy about how it happened, I think it's worth sharing.
I came to the realization awhile ago that sometimes I yell more than I like. I wouldn't consider myself a "yeller" because it doesn't happen all the time, but it is something I decided to work on. Tonight, I failed miserably.
My son was watching a show about bicycles to help him settle down for bed. He was more fidgety than normal and just would not sit still. I warned him about throwing toys by telling him to stop or we were going straight to bed without finishing the show. Well, he pushed the limits and I turned off the TV. He lost it; screaming, crying, throwing things, hitting me, etc. I told him to go to the bathroom to go potty before bed, per our routine. He yelled, "NO!" and ran into our bedroom. I got him out and told him to go to the bathroom. He ran under the kitchen table. That was when I lost my temper and yelled, "GET OUT FROM UNDER THERE!"
We finally made it to bed, with the fight continuing I might add. He asked me to sleep with him. Now what I have been doing on nights my husband works, is go check on my younger son and then come back to sit with my oldest until he settles. I told my oldest I needed a few minutes to calm down and then I would come back.
I debated on whether to go back or not, but after picking up books and toys and sweeping, I felt like I should at least talk to him a little about what happened. I walked into his room and laid down next to him in his racecar bed. He snuggled right up to me and I said, "I'm sorry I yelled at you." His response? "Mommy, you need to be careful with me."
WHOA.
He's right. So even though I know I may slip up, I am taking the Orange Rhino Challenge. Feel free to check it out for yourself. And hopefully, I will always remember to be careful.
