Someone told me once that yelling at kids is a lot like trying to steer a car by honking the horn. I love this analogy because it is so true. But some parents continue to use yelling as a way to manage behavior. Parents often tell me that children don't really listen until they are yelling. I contend that we have conditioned them to only listen when we start to yell. I think that talking to teens and listening to what they have to say is more more effective in the long run. If you are frustrated and find just talking and listening difficult, take a little break before you try to address an issue. I find it will work out better in the long run.
Have a great weekend. Sherri
Good post, Sherri. Yelling at young people just trains them to yell when they are adolescents, & older. Yelling is often accompanied by scolding, which is humiliating & degrading to their sense of self-worth. In raising 3 sons, they knew that hearing me yell meant someone was in severe danger, & seldom anything else. Thanks for the reminder.
Posted by: C. Dwayne Shafer, MD, PhD | 07/04/2010 at 08:32 PM