Check out the Orange Rhino Blog

I have been reading a blog for the past 7 months or so that I love.  It is written by an insanely optimistic mom who doesn’t want to yell at her kids.  I love it because it is a mom tackling a challenge that I think could be insurmountable.  She doesn’t pretend it is easy and she doesn’t pretend she does everything right.  She keeps it real by discussing the ever present challenges that she faces raising 4 boys who are young.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Orange Rhino blog I suggest you do so.

Don’t we all need a little inspiration to yell a little less.

Last week Orange Rhino hit her goal.  She went 365 days without yelling.  What?!  I can barely make it a day let alone a year.  Let’s face it, if I make it a morning without raising my voice I am impressed. When I started reading her blog I was dubious.  No parent can  subtract yelling from her life.  It is impossible.  And while I still think it is unrealistic to say I am never going to yell at my kids, reading the Orange Rhino helps me yell less.  I may not be able to do what she is doing, but I sure can try to do better.

Whenever I read her blog I want to reach across the internet and give her a big hug and say, “Really, it is okay to yell.  Your kids will be fine.”  Honestly most days I think she is too hard on herself.  We all are as moms.  Most days are struggles and we do the best we can with what we have.  But it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t stop trying to be a better parent.  And that is why I respect her so much.  Even though she has hard days she never loses site of what she envisions her family can be.

There are days that everything goes wrong and the frustration and anger are always simmering below the surface.  It doesn’t take anything for me to let the release valve open and let some of the steam escape, but the truth is it doesn’t last for long.  When I have the right mindset and I follow the Orange Rhino’s lead I try to take a deep breath and instead of yelling, try to calm down.  That always works way better and it lasts a lot longer than the quick fix yell.

While I don’t think I will ever be able to completely eliminate yelling from my life, I think I have become a much more level headed mom after following the Orange Rhino.  We seem to both be on the same journey, just going about it different ways.  All of us moms want to be better and to teach our kids a better way to handle emotions.  But everyday that the Orange Rhino goes without yelling at her 4 boys, gives me a little more hope that I can conquer my anger and the triggers that cause it.

So congratulations Orange Rhino.  You deserve a really big monument in your honor for all the work you are doing to improve your family tree!

What blogs inspire you to be a better mom?

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