30 Days of Love, Day Three

Small dogs were not made for more than a foot of snow. :)

The whole family is staying home today, for a Snow Day. Husband is working from home on his computer, with noise canceling headphones and his own music to drown the rest of us out, children are enjoying playing in the snow and then dragging all that wet stuff back in with them, or busy doing their home school lessons (no snow days for homeschoolers), the dogs are having trouble getting in and out, and I am wondering why I didn't think ahead and bring home my curriculum binders from church.

And here is today's prompt from the 30 Days of Love:

Description: Making room for our own thoughts, and space for others’ thoughts, is crucial to standing on the side of love. Today, from morning to night, speak in a gentle voice, sparingly, allowing for silence as much as possible. Note how this feels.

Today’s question: Does speaking gently change the nature of your conversations, or how people interact with you?

Hmmm. A snow day at home with the kids is a funny time to work on this, I think! We're sort of all trapped in here together - a great time for the noise level to climb and patience levels to decline. So maybe this is the perfect day to work on this.

Absolutely the way I speak changes the nature of the conversation, and how people interact with me. In fact, it's usually more effective for me to lower my voice and speak slowly, calmly, quietly, and draw the kids in closer so they can hear me, than it is to escalate and get louder and louder to deal with a situation. Working with children, you still need to get their attention first, but then speak gently.

Will I be able to allow for as much silence as possible today? Sure, but it may require ear plugs. :)

I recommend these books for better communication skills with children:

Screamfree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk

Playful Parenting

Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids: 7 Keys to Turn Family Conflict into Co-operation

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids

Becoming the Parent You Want to Be: a Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years