Mad Mama: Taming Adult Temper Tantrums

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Mad-MamaThey say it’s those we love the most who are also the ones we hurt. I have found this to be excruciatingly true as a mother who sometimes struggles with uncontrollable anger.

I have memories from childhood of my mother having a similar temper. I loved her so much, but I also feared her rage. I never thought it might be something I could “inherit.” In fact, when I only had one very well-behaved child to care for I thought I was a pretty awesome, calm and patient stay-at-home mother. But then my daughter turned two.

I had another baby by then and was still adjusting to my new role as a mother-of-two. My preschooler’s whining, crying, willful disobedience, and outright tantrums seemed to bring out the worst in me. There were days where, in fits of frustration and uncontrollable anger, I would scream at my daughter, slam doors, spank her a little too hard, or other awful things I cannot even forgive myself for. I NEVER wanted to be that mom. I didn’t even believe spanking was okay!

mad-mama2When things are good, temperaments are calm, and my mind is rational it seems so clear how I should react to my children’s misbehavior. I’m a huge fan of LR Knost, a “Gentle Parenting” author. I’ve read all her books, and I frequently share her quotes and memes online. I truly believe that my children are watching and learning from me. I know that angry outbursts and harsh punishments are not the way to teach them. I WANT to be a kind and patient parent. But then my oldest daughter will ask me “why not” for the hundredth time, my middle daughter will give me the attitude she is famous for, and my son will spit at me, and instantly all that cool, collected thinking is gone, and the mommy monster just comes out of me.

So what can I do? How do I stay calm, and not throw an adult tantrum when my kids throw theirs? What do I do to make it right when I mess up? Can I keep my kids from suffering the same fate when they are grown? I have to believe so, and in the meantime, here is what I do:

I keep on reading.

The Gentle Parent, Parenting with Love and Logic, ChildWise, and Grace Based Parenting are just a few of my favorites. I have pages dogeared and bookmarked, all ready for when I feel like I’m going to lose it and need some wisdom to talk me down from the ledge. I lock myself in my room and read the same, calming passages over and over again until I cool down, and have the words to properly handle the situation.

I have accountability partners.

Better than a book; my husband, best friends, and even God are there for me to call out to whenever I need some sane, human council, or just an understanding, listening ear.

I take time-outs.

Time-outs are not just for misbehaving littles. If I can’t control my outbursts or my actions, I walk away so I can cool off. And while doing so, I usually employ one or both of the above.

We talk about it.

Communication is key for the health of all relationships, even with little people. After a cooling off period, I talk openly with my kids and my husband about what happened, what went wrong, and what we can do better next time. And then…

…I apologize. A lot.

I recognize when I blow it, and I ask for forgiveness. We expect our children to “say your sorry” when they mess up. Why should we be any different?

Are you seeing a trend here? It’s interesting how these anger management lessons for adults are similar to those we use on our kids. Frankly, it’s because children are just little adults and adults are just big kids. If we are healthy, we all function the same way inside. The best way to raise healthy, well-adjusted adults is to introduce these things to our kids, and sometimes, the best way to BE a healthy, well-adjusted adult is to keep practicing them ourselves!

Do you struggle sometimes with uncontrollable anger? How do you deal with it?

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